Episode 270: If Your Plan Starts in August, You May Already Be Behind

Episode 270: If Your Plan Starts in August, You May Already Be Behind

From Leaning into Leadership by Darrin Peppard

April 6, 2026 · 13 min · Season 1 · Episode 270

About this episode

Darrin Peppard discusses the importance of planning for the school year well before August to ensure leadership success.

This week kicks off a three-part solo series focused on one critical question: How do we actually plan for success in the coming school year? April is a time when leaders are deep in planning—budgets, staffing, schedules, and resources are all coming together. But too often, we focus on what we’re going to do without fully thinking through how we set our teams up for success. In this episode, Darrin challenges a common leadership assumption—that the work starts in August—and introduces a different way of thinking. Because August isn’t the starting line. It’s the reveal. In This Episode Why so many leadership teams delay their real work until August The danger of treating the start of the school year as the starting point How lack of clarity shows up immediately when the year begins A powerful shift in thinking: “What must be true by August?” An introduction to backward mapping as a leadership strategy A simple exercise you can use right now to begin planning differently Key Takeaway Great leaders don’t wait for August to get started. They use the time leading up to the school year to build clarity, align their teams, and create momentum—so when the year begins, they’re ready. Try…

People in this episode

Host: Darrin Peppard

Topics covered

  • planning for success
  • leadership
  • school year preparation
  • backward mapping
  • team alignment
  • clarity in leadership

Keywords

  • leadership
  • planning
  • school year
  • success
  • backward mapping
  • team alignment
  • clarity

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