In the past several months, my work has taken me from government filings to strategy sessions, from deep dives into data to conversations with technology leaders. Different rooms, different roles, different objectives. And yet, the same ideas keep resurfacing. They aren’t tactics or policies. They’re principles — quiet guides that shape how I show up and how decisions get made.
Three in particular have been impossible to ignore lately.
1. Put the mission before the mechanics
Whether it’s the E-rate Trends Report, a cybersecurity filing, or a strategy discussion, the conversation always sharpens when the mission comes back into focus. The mechanics matter, but they aren’t the point. What gives the work its direction is the why behind it.
Recently, I had the chance to speak with members of the CoSN CTO Academy, an impressive group of rising K-12 technology leaders. Their questions weren’t abstract or theoretical. They were rooted in the day-to-day realities of serving students and supporting teachers. Walking the halls with leaders like these is a reminder that the mission is not connectivity for connectivity’s sake. It is about equipping people who, in turn, equip others.
When the mission is clear, the mechanics fall into place. When the mission is fuzzy, the mechanics overwhelm.
2. Build alignment before you build solutions
Most problems I encounter these days are not problems of talent or commitment. They’re problems of alignment. Teams working hard but not together. Stakeholders aiming for the same destination but drawing different maps.
Alignment doesn’t show up on its own. It comes from slowing down long enough to talk, listen, compare assumptions, and understand the problem before rushing to solve it.
This has been true in planning workshops with non-profits, in meetings with new FFL clients, and in FFL’s internal planning. Nearly every breakthrough starts with alignment, and nearly every setback traces back to the lack of it.
Solutions built on misalignment rarely last. Solutions built on shared understanding tend to endure and compound.
3. Lead with tone, presence, and steadiness
Leadership is rarely about the loudest idea. More often, it’s about the tone set in the room.
When working with other leaders, I see how much that tone shapes the climate of an entire team. Technology leaders, for example, sit at the intersection of ambition, constraints, and constant change. Their teams take cues from how they react to pressure, uncertainty, or new demands.
If our presence is steady, it gives others permission to breathe. If our tone is grounded, teams can move with confidence even when the path isn’t fully defined.
This doesn’t mean pretending everything is smooth. It means modeling the posture we hope others will adopt — especially when things are complex or consequences are high.
A simple compass for complicated work
Guiding principles don’t eliminate complexity. They illuminate it. They shorten the distance between confusion and clarity. And they help leaders keep moving toward the mission when circumstances are shifting underfoot.
Put the mission first. Build alignment. Lead with tone.
If we can hold those principles close, most decisions become simpler, and our work becomes a little more meaningful for the people we serve.
