Real Talk School Leadership with Dan Mault

Daniel Mault
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Real Talk School Leadership is a podcast for educators, administrators, and change-makers who believe schools can be better — and are willing to do the work to make it happen. Hosted by Dan Mault, elementary school principal and Creativity & Change Leadership graduate student, this show dives into the real conversations behind leadership in today’s schools. Each episode explores creativity, organizational change, team dynamics, and innovation through the lens of everyday practice — from building strong staff cultures and navigating challenges to rethinking systems and empowering diverse thinkers. Blending research with real-world experience, Dan shares reflections from the principal’s office, lessons from graduate coursework, and practical strategies grounded in frameworks like FourSight, the 4 Ps of Creativity, and collaborative problem solving. You’ll hear honest insights, actionable ideas, and stories from the field designed to help you lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose. This isn’t about quick fixes or trendy buzzwords. It’s about people.  It’s about process.  And it’s about creating schools where both adults and students can thrive. If you’re ready for authentic conversations, thoughtful leadership, and practical creativity in education — welcome to Real Talk School Leadership.

Episodes

  1. 3D AGO

    Episode #6 - Creativity by Design: Rethinking What School Can Be

    What does it really take to prepare students for a future we can’t predict? In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, Dan Mault introduces the core ideas behind his upcoming book, Creativity by Design: A Practical Guide to Innovation, Student Engagement, and Creative Teaching. This conversation dives into one of the biggest challenges facing schools today—how to move beyond compliance-driven learning and begin developing students who can think, adapt, and create. Dan breaks down the Creative Schools Model—a practical framework built on curiosity, thinking, exploration, innovation, and environment—and explains how these elements work together to shape meaningful learning experiences. More importantly, this episode goes beyond theory. You’ll walk away with simple, actionable strategies you can use immediately. This is just a small snippet of what is inside the book! If you’re a teacher, principal, or educational leader looking for realistic ways to bring creativity into your classroom or school—without adding one more thing to your plate—this episode is for you. Because the future isn’t waiting. And neither should we.

    11 min

  2. MAR 3

    Episode #5 - Play = Problem Solving: Why Elementary Classrooms Need More Play, Not Less

    In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we dig into something that often gets squeezed out of elementary schedules — play — and why research says that’s a mistake. If we truly want students who can think critically, solve complex problems, and innovate in a rapidly changing world, then play isn’t extra… it’s essential. Grounded in research from Jaak Panksepp, Stuart Brown, the American Academy of Pediatrics,  Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Roberta Golinkoff, this episode explores how play strengthens executive function, boosts academic performance, builds creativity, and supports the problem-solving process we’ve been talking about all season — Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement. We also address the real tension educators feel right now: packed schedules, curriculum pacing, assessments, and academic pressure. The question isn’t whether we can “afford” play, it’s whether we can afford not to. If we want students prepared for a world defined by innovation, automation, and rapid change, we must teach them how to think — not just what to memorize. References American Academy of Pediatrics. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 142(3), e20182058. Brown, S. (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. Avery. Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2016). Becoming brilliant: What science tells us about raising successful children. American Psychological Association. Hirsh-Pasek, K., Zosh, J. M., Golinkoff, R. M., et al. (2015). Putting education in “educational” apps: Lessons from the science of learning. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 16(1), 3–34. Panksepp, J. (2007). Can play diminish ADHD and facilitate the construction of the social brain? Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 16(2), 57–66. Torrance, E. P. (1977). Creativity in the classroom: What research says to the teacher. National Education Association. World Economic Forum. (2023). The future of jobs report.

    15 min

  3. FEB 8

    Episode #4 - Leadership & Climate: How Environment Shapes Innovation, Culture, and Results

    In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, I  explore how organizational climate and culture shape everything from collaboration and innovation to staff engagement and student success. Building on earlier conversations about thinking preferences, psychological safety, and the problem-solving process, this episode zooms out to examine the environments leaders and teams create every day, whether intentionally or unintentionally. We unpack the important distinction between climate and culture, drawing on research from Ekvall, Amabile, Edmondson, Heifetz, Puccio, and others. While leaders play a critical role in shaping direction and tone, this episode makes it clear that everyone in an organization contributes to sustaining a healthy climate and culture through daily interactions, collaboration, and shared ownership. Although the conversation is rooted in education, the lessons apply to any organization working to improve collaboration, innovation, and outcomes. This episode is a reminder that leadership is not just about managing systems, it’s about designing environments where people can do their best work. ----- References Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in context. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Amabile, T. M., & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The progress principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review Press. Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999 Edmondson, A. C. (2012). Teaming: How organizations learn, innovate, and compete in the knowledge economy. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Ekvall, G. (1996). Organizational climate for creativity and innovation. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 5(1), 105–123. https://doi.org/10.1080/13594329608414845 Heifetz, R. A., & Linsky, M. (2002). Leadership on the line: Staying alive through the dangers of leading. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. C. (2011). Creative leadership: Skills that drive change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    11 min

  4. FEB 2

    Episode #3 - Psychological Safety: The Foundation of Creativity, Collaboration, Climate, and Student Success

    In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we explore why psychological safety is the foundation of creativity, innovation, and meaningful change in schools and how leaders can intentionally build climates where both adults and students thrive. Building on earlier conversations about thinking preferences and the problem-solving process (Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement), this episode dives into what it truly means to create a judgment-free environment where ideas are welcomed, all voices are heard, and failure is seen as part of learning. Grounded in research from Teresa Amabile, Amy Edmondson, Alex Osborn, Gerard Puccio, Susan Keller-Mathers, and Michael Ackerbauer, I try to connect the theories I have been studying, the ways I weave in these ideas in my school, to everyday practice in your schools and orgs. 📚 References Amabile, T. M. (1996). Creativity in Context. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Amabile, T. M., & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The Power of Small Wins: How Progress Fuels Engagement and Innovation. Harvard Business Review Press. Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. Edmondson, A. (2012). Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Osborn, A. F. (1953). Applied Imagination: Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem-Solving. New York, NY: Scribner. Puccio, G. J., & Keller-Mathers, S. (2007). Enhancing thinking and leadership skills through creative problem solving. International Journal of Creativity & Problem Solving, 17(2), 5–19. Puccio, G. J., Mance, M., & Murdock, M. (2011). Creative Leadership: Skills That Drive Change. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Ackerbauer, M. (Organizational Creativity & Innovation course materials and lectures, 2026).

    20 min

  5. JAN 29

    Episode #2 - People + Process: How We Can Turn Ideas Into Impact

    In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we builds on last week’s conversation about thinking preferences and dive deeper into how schools and organizations can turn good ideas into real impact. Using the FourSight problem-solving process — Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement — we explore why both the process and the people matter. You’ll hear how Clarifiers, Ideators, Developers, and Implementers each play a critical role in innovation, and why so many school initiatives struggle when teams skip steps or rely on only one type of thinking. Grounded in research on team creativity and innovation, this episode connects theory to everyday school leadership — from MTSS meetings and curriculum rollouts to building-level committees and district change efforts. We also unpack why traditional brainstorming often falls short, how psychological safety impacts creativity, and what leaders can do right now to design better meetings and stronger teams. If you’re a teacher leader, principal, coach, or district administrator looking for practical ways to improve collaboration, strengthen problem solving, and support student success, this episode offers concrete strategies you can take straight back to your building. -------- Here are the key studies and resources referenced in this episode. Team Creativity and Innovation (overview of cognitive processes beyond brainstorming) https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=team+creativity+and+innovation+cognitive+processes IBM Team Innovation / FourSight-related research (Casimer DeCusatis and colleagues) https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=DeCusatis+innovation+teams+FourSight https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=IBM+innovation+teams+thinking+preferences FourSight & the Breakthrough Thinking Process https://foursightonline.com https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=breakthrough+thinking+process+problem+solving Psychological Safety and Team Effectiveness (Amy Edmondson) https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Amy+Edmondson+psychological+safety+teams Alex Osborn and What Brainstorming Was Meant to Be (Founder of brainstorming; emphasizes deferred judgment, quantity before quality, and building on others’ ideas)Osborn, A. (1953). Applied Imagination https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Alex+Osborn+Applied+Imagination Overview of Osborn’s original brainstorming principles:  https://www.mindtools.com/a4wo118/brainstorming

    18 min

  6. JAN 26

    Episode #1 - Thinking Together: What Organizational Creativity Taught Me About Leadership

    In this episode, I reflect on my J-term course Organizational Creativity and Innovation (led by Dr. Michael Ackerbauer - check out his Ted Talk here) from the Creativity and Change Leadership program at Buffalo State University and how it’s reshaping the way I lead as a school principal. We dive into FourSight and thinking preferences, the 4 Ps of creativity through A Bug’s Life, and a great book: Good Team, Bad Team, by Sarah Thurber and Blair Miller (available on Amazon) to explore how creativity actually shows up in real organizations. I share honest takeaways about team dynamics, leadership, and why what we often call “resistance” is really just different ways of thinking. This isn’t just a recap of coursework, it’s a conversation about building better teams, creating safer environments for innovation, and leading change with more intention, empathy, and clarity. If you’re an educator or leader looking for practical ways to support your people and strengthen your organization, this one’s for you.

    20 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Real Talk School Leadership is a podcast for educators, administrators, and change-makers who believe schools can be better — and are willing to do the work to make it happen. Hosted by Dan Mault, elementary school principal and Creativity & Change Leadership graduate student, this show dives into the real conversations behind leadership in today’s schools. Each episode explores creativity, organizational change, team dynamics, and innovation through the lens of everyday practice — from building strong staff cultures and navigating challenges to rethinking systems and empowering diverse thinkers. Blending research with real-world experience, Dan shares reflections from the principal’s office, lessons from graduate coursework, and practical strategies grounded in frameworks like FourSight, the 4 Ps of Creativity, and collaborative problem solving. You’ll hear honest insights, actionable ideas, and stories from the field designed to help you lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose. This isn’t about quick fixes or trendy buzzwords. It’s about people.  It’s about process.  And it’s about creating schools where both adults and students can thrive. If you’re ready for authentic conversations, thoughtful leadership, and practical creativity in education — welcome to Real Talk School Leadership.

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