EP 42: What Your Program is Trying to Teach You

The Summer Reset Series – Episode 2 As nature-based educators, we spend so much of our time observing children. We watch before we intervene. We notice patterns. We stay curious. We trust that careful observation often reveals more than immediate action. But what if we led our programs the same way? In this episode of The Summer Reset Series, we're exploring a simple question that has completely changed the way I approach leadership: "What is my program trying to teach me?" Instead of viewing every challenge as a problem to fix, we'll explore how curiosity can help us uncover what our programs, teams, and daily rhythms are revealing. Sometimes the greatest breakthroughs don't come from working harder—they come from paying closer attention. Whether you're navigating staffing challenges, enrollment concerns, parent communication, or simply feeling stuck, this episode is an invitation to slow down and become a student of your own leadership. In this episode, we'll explore: * Why observation is one of the most valuable leadership skills you can develop. * The difference between reacting to challenges and learning from them. * How children naturally model curiosity, resilience, and experimentation. * Why every difficult season has something to teach us. * How paying attention can lead to clearer, more sustainable decisions. Reflection Questions Take a notebook outside this week and spend a little time with these questions: * What keeps happening in my program? * Where do I consistently feel tension? * What keeps bringing joy? * What continues to surprise me? * If I stopped seeing this as a problem to solve, what might I discover instead? You don't need to have all the answers. The goal isn't to solve everything today—it's to notice what your leadership has been trying to show you. Coming Up Next: In the final episode of The Summer Reset Series, we'll explore what it means to stop building a program that depends entirely on you. We'll talk about sustainable leadership, creating healthy systems, empowering your team, and why the strongest programs aren't built around one indispensable person—they're built around a shared vision that can flourish long into the long into the future. If this episode encouraged you... I'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, or share this episode with another nature-based founder, forest school leader, or outdoor educator who's walking through a challenging season. And if these conversations have you thinking differently about your own leadership, I'd love to continue that conversation. Mentoring nature-based founders and directors is one of my greatest joys, and I'll be sharing more about ways we can work together in future episodes. Remember: Don't just make time to work *on* your program. Make time to listen to what it's trying to teach you.