Three conversations this week with three leaders I'd put in the top tier of their fields: Different rooms, different days, same observation underneath all of it: We don't invest enough in the leaders who carry the most weight. We pour everything into the rookies. The new hire. The freshman. The first-year teacher. The newbie in field training. We build them programs, assign them mentors, send them to trainings, hand them books. That part of the system works. Then we look at the people leading them — the coaches, the directors, the first-line leaders, the executives — and we assume they've got it handled. And they assume they're supposed to. That's where it breaks. A leader at a new level is facing that level for the first time too. But the second someone offers coaching or support, the reflex kicks in: I should already know this. I've been doing this for years. What does it say about me if I need help now? So they don’t ask. They show strength and resolve. And it signals to THEIR leadership that they have it all figured out. In my doctoral research I label this the Perceived Capacity Trap, but I’ll expand on that more another day. For now let’s stay with investing in our leaders: New levels bring new devils. As your responsibility grows, your capacity has to grow with it — and you can burn a lot of time figuring that out alone when there are people who've already taken the test you're just now sitting down for. Their answer isn't always your answer. But borrowing from their lessons gets you to your own faster. You lead better, serve better, feel lighter, shine brighter. That's why I wrote *Between Grief and Grit* for leaders. Not the people just starting out. The ones already carrying it, already tired, already telling themselves they should know better by now — and who don't always want to admit out loud that they don't. Supporting leaders is one of my new favorite missions. The book is step one. There's a lot more coming. Because the better our leaders are, the better the world is for everyone walking behind them. Hope to see some of you on the trail. Up next: @THSCAcoaches #CoachingSchool betweengriefandgrit.com

Great dialogue at the THSCA HQ today with our Ad Hoc Committee💫 We have the greatest structure in the country concerning our education-based and community-based athletic programs, and this group is working hard to make sure that we preserve those values, including our rules regarding athletic transfers and residency requirements. #THSCAStrong