What does it take to build a leadership team that truly works?
In this episode of Leaning Into Leadership, Dr. Darrin Peppard sits down with Marlene Rombach, Rocio Rhoads, and Christina Shires—the leadership team at Locust Grove Middle School in Locust Grove, Virginia—to reflect on their first year leading together.
With a first-year principal, a first-year assistant principal, and an assistant principal stepping into a significantly expanded role, this team faced enormous challenges from day one. Yet through intentional communication, trust, coaching, and a commitment to shared leadership, they built a culture that allowed both staff and students to thrive.
This conversation is an honest look at leadership in action—the successes, the struggles, and the systems that make sustainable excellence possible.
Leadership is a team sport.
Strong leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about building relationships, communicating clearly, holding high expectations while providing high support, and creating systems that allow everyone to do their best work.
Throughout the conversation, Marlene, Rocio, and Christina demonstrate that the intentional creation of trust doesn't just make leadership more enjoyable—it makes schools more effective.
"The team has to be strong for the school to be successful."
"If we're asking teachers to do something, they deserve to understand the why."
"High expectations only work when they're matched with high support."
"The more clarity we bring, the more efficiently our school can run."
If this episode resonates with you, share it with another leader who believes that leadership teams have the power to transform schools.
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Because leadership isn't about doing more.
It's about intentionally creating the conditions where other people can do their best work.
For leadership coaching, keynote speaking, leadership retreats, and weekly leadership insights, visit roadtoawesome.net or darrinpeppard.com
Sponsor Spotlight:
This episode is sponsored by HeyTutor.
HeyTutor partners with schools and districts nationwide to provide evidence-based high-dosage tutoring support in Math and ELA while helping schools remain intentional about staff capacity and student support systems.
Learn more here: HeyTutor.com