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Leadership doesn’t fail because educators don’t care. It fails when we bury people under noise, overthinking, and systems no one can carry into a tough hallway moment. I sit down with Jove Stickle, a former social studies teacher, multi-sport coach, and middle school principal who now mentors and coaches other leaders, to talk about what actually holds up when the job gets heavy.

We dig into the turning points in Jove’s educational leadership journey: the classroom habits that built credibility, the coaching lessons that taught him to keep feedback simple, and the reality of becoming the principal in a building where your coworkers used to be your friends. He’s honest about what he’d change, how trust can fracture when roles shift, and why working longer hours is not the same as leading well. If you care about school culture, staff morale, and sustainable principal practices, you’ll hear plenty you can apply right away.

Jove also shares the framework behind his upcoming book, “Lighting the WICK of Leadership,” built around WICK: work hard, act with integrity, be committed, be kind. We talk about giving trust before you try to “earn” it, building standards that stay steady, and where education is heading as schools rethink technology overload and refocus on core skills and character.

Connect with Jove Stickel Here:

nstagram @Jovestickel

X @Jovestickel

Tik Tok @Jovestickel

YouTube @JoveStickel

website Jovestickel.com

substack Jovestickel.substack.com

email Principalstickel@gmail.com

phone (573) 692-3448

New Book Coming Soon! "Lighting the WICK of Leadership"

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