Beyond the Bell - Leading with Purpose

About Beyond the Bell - Leading with Purpose

Beyond the Bell – Leading with Purpose explores what it means to lead schools where both people and performance thrive. Hosts Dr. Nathan Manley and Dr. Jim Cummins have honest conversations with educators, principals, and superintendents about leadership, culture, and systems that serve. Each episode offers practical insights and real stories that help leaders build trust, strengthen teams, and create schools rooted in purpose and care.

Publisher

beyondthebell-leadingwithpurpose

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Nov 2025

Latest episode

27 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

30 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   27 Oct 2026

   Beyond the Bell - Leading with Purpose #30 Dr. David Buck

   In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. David Buck, Superintendent of Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, for a conversation on building future-ready schools while keeping students and people at the center of every decision. Dr. Buck shares practical leadership insights on creating innovative opportunities through real-world learning, strong community partnerships, and student-centered pathways that prepare learners for life beyond graduation. He also discusses leading through questions, developing leadership capacity, and building systems that turn great ideas into lasting impact. The conversation also explores strategic planning, culture building, educator retention, and leading complex change with trust and ownership. Whether you're a superintendent, administrator, educator, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical wisdom for leading with purpose and creating opportunities where students and staff can thrive.

2. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Beyond the Bell - Leading with Purpose #29 Dr. Brenten Byrd

   In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. Brenten Byrd, Superintendent of Webb City School District, for a conversation on community-rooted leadership, student opportunity, and serving the place that helped shape you. Dr. Byrd shares lessons from leading in his hometown, building trust with families, and creating opportunities that help students believe they can “go anywhere from here.” He discusses mentorship, career pathways, community partnerships, and the importance of keeping students at the center of every decision. The conversation also explores public school advocacy, reconnecting communities after COVID, leadership authenticity, and caring for the well-being of educators and leaders. Whether you're a superintendent, administrator, educator, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical encouragement for leading with purpose and investing deeply in the community you serve.

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Beyond the Bell - Leading with Purpose #28 Dr. John Mulford

   In this episode of Beyond the Bell: Leading with Purpose, Jim Cummins and Dr. Nathan Manley welcome Dr. John Mulford, Superintendent of Fayetteville Public Schools in Arkansas, for a conversation on leading with community, creating equitable opportunities, and building systems that put students first. Dr. Mulford shares how authentic stakeholder engagement shapes district vision, builds trust, and leads to lasting change. He discusses community collaboration, strategic planning, equitable feeder patterns, and how listening well can help leaders create solutions that reflect the needs of students, staff, and families. The conversation also explores innovative school design, sustainability, technology, and the importance of healthy leadership boundaries. Whether you're a superintendent, administrator, educator, or aspiring leader, this episode offers practical insights on building strong systems where students, staff, and communities can thrive. Marco Furniture is a proud partner of LiftED and Beyond the Bell: Leading With Purpose. If your school or district is planning a classroom, library, commons, office, or other furniture project, we’d be glad to connect you with the Marco team. Connect with us:https://liftededu.com/contact/

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.