AWESOME Leadership Content
Leadership without clarity is just management—choose the difference.
From inspiring interviews to practical strategies to leadership books you can take back to your team—this is where clarity meets action.
Leaning Into Leadership Podcast
We all want to see successes in both our personal and professional lives. Often, that requires strong leadership. In a time when leadership can be more challenging than ever, this podcast is dedicated to cultivating leaders by elevating the voices of leaders and promoting positivity. Join Dr. Darrin Peppard, lifelong educator and best-selling author, for this mixed platform podcast (some solo, some guest interview) for inspiration and insight, and some great leadership stories from those are living it, excelling at it, and celebrating it. Together, let’s lean into leadership.
THE ROAD TO AWESOME BLOG
My Word for 2026 Is Fierce – How Leaders Can Apply it to Their Work
Each year, I spend time choosing one word to guide how I want to show up as a leader. Not a resolution.Not a checklist.A posture. As I looked ahead to […]
From Check-Ins to Buy-In: How Regular Conversations Strengthen Your Team
Earlier this week, I spoke with a leader I’ve been coaching who’s been putting in the work to become more intentional in her leadership. One of the biggest changes she’s […]
Bringing Clarity to the Buzzwords
We’ve all heard them. We’ve all used them. Words that sound powerful in meetings, strategy sessions, or performance reviews — but often mean very different things to different people. Collaboration. […]
FEATURED BOOKS
Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader
Presented with a fork in the road moment, Dr. Darrin Peppard chose to shift his focus to look for the positives rather than all that was wrong in every situation. Road to Awesome: The Journey of a Leader is your road map to bringing a positive attitude, elevating those around you, and finding the joy in your job. Darrin’s energy and passion for leadership and learning are evident throughout this book and will challenge novice and experienced leaders to take their game to the next level. As leaders, we have a choice every day of how to show up for the people around us. Our leadership journey will have plenty of twists and turns, and when two roads diverge on your path, take the Road to Awesome and don’t look back.
CULTURE FIRST CLASSROOMS
Creating a positive classroom culture is both an art and a science—layered, nuanced, and deeply personal. In Culture First Classrooms, Dr. Darrin Peppard, Katie Kinder, and a powerhouse team of education experts reveal proven strategies for transforming classrooms and schools. Through innovative practices and practical strategies, this book shows how to build environments where students and staff feel safe, engaged, and empowered. Discover how laughter, relationships, and intentional culture-building can lead to deeper learning and lasting success.