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What sets strong instructional leaders apart from those just managing the day-to-day? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, you’ll learn five key traits that help principals lead learning, not just logistics.
You’ll discover:
If you’ve ever felt pulled away from instructional priorities by constant fires, this episode will help you refocus on what matters most—growing teachers, improving learning, and leading with purpose.
Join us in The 8 to 4 Principal Leadership Hub
Check out my free planner, The 8 to 4 Principal Planner.
Get 20% of The 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint HERE.
Have you ever walked into a PLC and instantly felt the tension in the air? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb unpacks why some teacher teams just can’t seem to get along—and what you can do about it as a leader.
You’ll learn:
Tune in to gain clarity, confidence, and a practical plan for your most challenging team dynamics.
Do you want more support with working with teacher teams? Check out my Teacher Team Dynamics Toolkit or my Free Quick Guide to Navigating Challenging Teacher Dynamics
Get 20% of The 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint HERE.
As principals, it can feel impossible to step away from the building—whether you’re sick, at PD, or attending district meetings. The guilt, the worry that everything will fall apart, and the pressure to be present 24/7 can take a toll. In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers unpacks why leaving the building matters for both your staff and your own well-being.
You’ll learn:
Your leadership is measured not by how much your school needs you in the moment, but by how well it functions when you’re not there. Tune in for practical tips and mindset shifts to help you leave the building—without guilt—knowing your systems and people can handle it.
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The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals
Click here to join The 8 to 4 Principal Leadership Hub for only $19 a month.
Few moments feel as draining as picking up the phone after a discipline referral—only to face an upset, defensive parent on the other end. The pushback can trigger doubt, defensiveness, and second-guessing. But here’s the truth: conflict with parents doesn’t have to derail you. It can actually become a chance to strengthen trust and connection.
In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers shares how to stay calm and lead with confidence when emotions run high. You’ll discover:
If parent conflicts leave you feeling rattled or reactive, this episode will give you the mindset and tools to stay grounded, lead with calm authority, and turn challenges into opportunities for connection.
FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals
Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!
Teacher evaluations are one of the few times principals get to step fully into the role of instructional leader—but too often they become rushed, compliance-driven, or even discouraging for staff. In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers unpacks how to make evaluations a meaningful, growth-oriented process instead of just another checkbox.
You’ll learn:
Barb also shares her simple structure for balancing clarity, encouragement, and accountability—so evaluations truly help teachers grow while staying manageable for principals.
If you’ve ever struggled to find that balance between supportive feedback and honest evaluation, this episode will give you a framework you can use right away.
FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals
Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!
Discipline is one of the most draining parts of a principal’s job—not just because of student behavior, but also the ripple effects with staff, parents, and even your own energy. Without the right systems and boundaries, discipline can feel like it takes over your entire life.
In this episode, I’ll walk you through practical ways to lead discipline with confidence without burning out in the process.
You’ll learn:
Finally, I’ll leave you with a simple challenge: create one new boundary around discipline this week. Because when you protect yourself first, discipline feels lighter and leadership becomes more sustainable.
FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals
Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!
Do you ever think, “If they really knew me, they’d realize I’m not ready for this”? You’re not alone. In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb dives into the reality of imposter syndrome—the self-doubt that makes you question your skills, experience, and belonging.
Drawing from her own journey as a young administrator and seasoned principal, Barb normalizes these feelings and shares practical strategies to quiet your inner critic. You’ll learn:
By the end, you’ll walk away with mindset shifts and daily practices to push past self-doubt and step fully into your role as a leader.
Listen to episode 3: Dealing with Imposter Syndrome
Introducing my new membership for principals: practical coaching + ready-to-use resources to help you lead with confidence and protect your time. Click here to learn more!
As principals, most of us entered education because we care deeply about kids—we’re naturally empathetic. But leadership also requires authority: the ability to set direction, uphold standards, and make tough calls. The challenge? Finding the balance between the two.
In this episode, Barb Flowers unpacks the tension between empathy and authority and why both are essential for effective leadership. You’ll learn:
FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals
Struggling to feel confident in your leadership role? This episode with AP and doctoral researcher Stan Koterba explores how self-efficacy—your belief in your ability to lead—directly connects to how you manage your time, set boundaries, and build sustainable routines. We’ll talk imposter syndrome, email habits, delegation, and the mindset shifts that help principals stop overworking and start leading with clarity.
Have questions for Stan? Contact Stan at stankoterba@gmail.com
What if your identity as a principal isn’t fixed—but a choice you get to make every day? In this episode, we’re diving into the powerful concept of identity and how it shapes your leadership. Barb unpacks the 1.0 vs. 2.0 self exercise—one of her favorite coaching tools—to help you reflect on who you’ve been and intentionally step into who you want to become.
You’ll walk away with a practical strategy you can use for yourself and your teachers to foster growth, boost confidence, and shift out of burnout-inducing patterns.
Inside this episode:
This episode will inspire you to take control of your narrative and lead with intention. Your 2.0 self is waiting—tune in now!
This activity is part of The 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint, which you can get HERE!
FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals
The Principal’s Power Hour Blueprint
*RESOURCES FOR PRINCIPALS*
Transform Your Time: 60 Day Action Plan for Principals
Leadership by Design: The Principal's Custom Habit System
The Principal's Overwhelm Toolkit
*SOCIAL MEDIA*
Barb Flowers, Ph.D- Linkedin
DrBarbFlowers- Instagram
the8to4principal- TikTok
In this episode, we’re tackling one of the biggest challenges principals face: discipline. If you’ve ever felt like student behavior consumes your entire day, leaving you drained and reactive, you’re not alone.
I’ll walk you through the common traps principals fall into — reacting emotionally, taking behavior personally, and rushing to consequences — and share mindset shifts that will help you lead discipline with clarity, calm, and confidence.
Whether you’re handling discipline with or without an assistant principal, these strategies will help you reclaim your time, reduce stress, and actually change behavior in the long run.
Is your PBIS Tier 2 system supporting students—or overwhelming your staff? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers shares why Tier 2 behavior systems are often the trickiest to implement and exactly how her team transformed theirs from a paperwork-heavy burden into a simple, sustainable support system for students and teachers.
You’ll learn:
Listen to Episode 105: Why Tier 1 Behavior Systems Are a Game Changer (And What to Do If You Don’t Have One)
If you're building your Tier 2 system (or need to fix a broken one), this episode will give you clarity, confidence, and practical next steps.
Grab the PBIS Tier 2 Toolkit mentioned in the episode.
Follow Barb on TikTok @the8to4principal for more leadership tips.
Are you tired of feeling like there’s never enough time to get it all done? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, we dive into Master Your Week: Planning Tips for Principals. Join Barb Flowers, certified life coach and experienced principal, as she unpacks how intentional planning can transform your efficiency, reduce stress, and even help you walk out the door by 4 p.m.
Barb shares her personal planning system — blending digital and paper calendars — and reveals how a simple weekly planning session can create mental clarity, improve meetings, boost productivity, and even support better delegation. You'll also hear mindset shifts that will change how you think about your time and effectiveness as a school leader.
Whether you’re a seasoned planner or someone who avoids calendars, this episode will give you practical strategies to reclaim your time and lead with confidence. Tune in to learn how to structure your week so your priorities get done — without taking work home every night.
Click HERE to get the 8 to 4 Principal Planner
Click HERE to get the 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint
Do you wish you could lead with more intention and less stress this year? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, we’re diving into how to create leadership routines that actually stick—so you can be more proactive, visible, and grounded throughout the school year.
I’ll walk you through:
If you want to lead with more confidence and clarity—while protecting your time and energy—this episode is for you. Plus, learn how to turn routines into habits with my custom habit system for principals, Leadership by Design.
Click HERE to get the 8 to 4 Principal Planner.
Click HERE to get Leadership by Design: The Principal's Custom Habit System.
Struggling with behavior challenges in your school? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb Flowers explains why a strong Tier One PBIS system is a game changer for improving school-wide behavior. Whether you don’t have a system yet or yours feels stale, Barb shares simple, practical steps to set clear expectations, reinforce positive behavior, and use consistent consequences.
Get ready to refresh your approach and create a positive, calm school climate that supports both students and teachers.
Click HERE to get the Free PBIS Tier 1 Toolkit.
What does a successful school year look like for your building? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, we explore how to set clear, purposeful goals that guide your school forward. I’ll share my personal approach to creating a vision and drafting goals before the year begins — rooted in district priorities, building data, and staff input — so you can lead with confidence and intention.
You'll learn:
Plus, I’ll give you a quick look at my Lead with Clarity: Vision & Goals Workbook and how ChatGPT prompts can help you organize your thoughts and simplify this process.
Start your year anchored in clarity and purpose — and set your building up for success!
Are you stepping into a new school year feeling nervous or unsure how to start strong? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, we dive into a powerful back-to-school mindset reset to help you kick off the year with confidence and clarity. Whether you're a seasoned principal or stepping into a new building like I am this year, it's completely normal to feel those back-to-school butterflies.
We'll explore why the natural reset of a new school year is a gift you can leverage to grow as a leader. I’ll guide you through intentional reflection questions to help you examine how you showed up last year—through your values, thoughts, emotions, and actions—so you can decide who you want to be this year.
You’ll learn:
✅ Why confidence is a choice, not a trait
✅ How to identify thoughts that support or sabotage your leadership
✅ How to set clear priorities and show up as the leader you want to be
Plus, I’ll share a simple mindset shift exercise to ground you as you step into the year ahead. If you’re ready to lead with more calm, confidence, and purpose, this episode is for you.
Get my free workshop, Stop Doubting Your Decisions.
Check out my other principal freebies, HERE.
Are you letting your mindset get in the way of leading challenging teachers effectively?
In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, Barb shares three powerful mindset shifts every school leader needs when working with challenging teachers. From taking things personally, to labeling staff as “negative” or “toxic,” to simply avoiding tough personalities altogether — Barb unpacks the traps that many principals fall into and shows how reframing your thoughts can transform tough dynamics.
Barb also introduces Byron Katie’s four questions as a tool to challenge assumptions and highlights the power of shifting your thinking to create more positive emotions, better relationships, and stronger leadership.
Grab her free Quick Guide to Navigating Challenging Teacher Dynamics to go deeper, and start experimenting with just one mindset shift this week.
FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals
Click here if you join us for live coaching in The 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint Live.
Are you being intentional about building parent connections this year — or just hoping relationships fall into place? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, we continue our summer planning mini-series with Part #4, diving into three strategies I’m using right now to plan for meaningful parent engagement in my new school. From being truly present at key events, to sending clear, proactive communication that eases parent worries, to planning ways to keep families involved all year long — these ideas will help you foster trust and build a strong school community from day one. Tune in and get inspired to strengthen your parent partnerships before the year even starts!
FREE DOWNLOADS*
The Principal's Email Detox
Decisive Leadership- Free Workshop
Principal Checklist to Disconnect From School
Behavior Blueprint for Principals
Click here if you join us for live coaching in The 8 to 4 Principal Blueprint Live.
Are you truly prepared to lead instruction next year, or are you hoping to figure it out on the fly? In this episode of The Principal’s Handbook, we dive into Part #3 of our summer planning mini-series: the three key steps I’m taking right now to plan for instructional leadership in my new school. From digging into curriculum (and why you can’t skip this), to analyzing building data trends, to strengthening collaboration structures like PLCs and TBTs—this episode is packed with practical ways you can set your staff and students up for academic success.
Whether you’re leading a brand-new building, changing grade levels, or just want a smarter plan for next year, tune in for insights that will help you be a more intentional instructional leader.
Plus, grab my 8 to 4 Principal Planner—the tool I use to stay on top of meetings, classroom visits, and keep the focus on what matters most.