The Private School Leader Podcast

The Private School Leader Podcast

Hosted by: Mark Minkus

The Private School Leader Podcast exists to help you go from SURVIVING to THRIVING as you lead your school. Do you ever feel lonely and isolated in your role as a private school leader? Do you wish that you could get...

All Episodes

Episodes

Your Biggest Strength Could Also Be Your Biggest Weakness

We all know the name Arnold Schwarzenegger. Seven-time Mr. Olympia. Hollywood action star. The Terminator. At his peak, Arnold could bench press well over 500 pounds and had one of the most powerful physiques the...
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Episode 170: How To Handle The Concerning Shift From "Helicopter Parenting" To "Snow Plow Parenting"

I don’t like snowplows. When I see a snow plow, that means that the roads are snow covered. I don’t like driving on snowy roads, especially because of the hilly terrain where I live. There’s also another reason that I...
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Episode 169: 3 Ways To Lift Your “Leadership Lid”

I listen to a lot of Sports Talk Radio. At this time of year, the NFL playoffs give everyone a lot to talk about. But, after the Super Bowl, the hosts of the local and national shows have to try pretty hard to...
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Episode 168: 4 Leadership Lessons From Captain Sully And "The Miracle On The Hudson"

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia Airport, bound for Charlotte. Just 94 seconds after takeoff, the plane struck a flock of geese. Both engines failed, at just under 3,000 feet, over...
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Episode 167: If You Only Make 1 New Year's Resolution, Please Make This One

If you watch TV between Christmas day and New Year’s Day, you will see a lot of commercials for gym memberships. In fact, if you watch the New Year’s Eve coverage from Times Square, you will immediately notice that...
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Episode 166: The Top 10 Leadership Nuggets Of 2025

If you have listened to even a few episodes of this podcast, you know that I like lists. It might be “The 4 Strategies To…” or “The 5 Secrets Of…”, but I love to organize my thoughts into lists. I especially love...
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Episode 165: The #1 Frustration Of Private School Leaders Right Now (And What To Do About It)

We all have pet peeves. For some reason, most of mine tend to happen at the grocery store. It bugs me when the person in front of me has 35 items in the “10 items or fewer” lane or when someone is walking really...
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Episode 164: Do These 3 Things When A Parent Hijacks Your Emotions

On June 21, 1985, a domestic flight in Norway (Braathens SAFE Flight 139) was hijacked mid-flight. The aircraft was a Boeing 737, carrying 121 people (116 passengers and 5 crew.)  The hijacker had an air gun that...
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Episode 163: The 3 Biggest Indicators Of A Healthy Culture And How To Get Them At Your School

Back in the summer of 2021, one of my daughters was driving a Chevy CRUZE with over 110,000 miles on the odometer. She needed to trade it in and get a more updated used car, with less miles on it. We found a car that...
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Episode 162: When The Best Thing About Your School Is Also The Worst Thing About Your School

A little bit of fire, under control, is a good thing. I love grilling in my back yard and a hot dog always tastes better straight from the grill. When my daughters still lived at home, we would really enjoy making...
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Episode 161: How To Turn Fragile Kids Into Resilient Kids

Do you have any fragile kids at your school?  Do some of your students give up easily when faced with a challenging problem or concept? Are your students sometimes too worried about “looking smart?”  Do any of your...
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Episode 160: Luke Skywalker And Katniss Everdeen Can Help You Solve Your Most Expensive Problem

I know that the title of today’s episode is a little bizarre, but just trust me. I promise, by the end of this episode, you’re going to see how the heroes from The Hunger Games and Star Wars can help your school save...
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