Great Advice - Schaper Wisdom

Early in my career as a fixer, I was in a meeting with some district principals and administrators. The issue was seriously delinquent students and what to do with them. Most of the solutions entailed expulsions and looooong suspensions. The Deputy Superintendent stepped in the room, assessed the conversation for about 2 minutes and said this,

“I want everyone one of you in this room to understand this. These kids may be turds, but they are MY turds.”

He then turned and left the meeting. Obviously, once he left, the district people began to think of solutions that kept HIS students in school and productive.

Here’s what I learned in the span of less than five minutes.


1. It is easy to teach the easy.

2. Even good people just want their problems to go away.

3. Perhaps the most important duty you have when you have power and influence is to love the unlovable.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Just a reminder for existing LYS readers and an invitation to new LYS readers, Sunday is advice day. Send me your favorite piece of advice and why, along with your mailing address. If I post it, I’ll send you a world famous Lead Your School can koozie.

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