Real Talk School Leadership is a podcast for educators, administrators, and change-makers who believe schools can be better — and are willing to do the work to make it happen.
Hosted by Dan Mault, elementary school principal and Creativity & Change Leadership graduate student, this show dives into the real conversations behind leadership in today’s schools. Each episode explores creativity, organizational change, team dynamics, and innovation through the lens of everyday practice — from building strong staff cultures and navigating challenges to rethinking systems and empowering diverse thinkers.
Blending research with real-world experience, Dan shares reflections from the principal’s office, lessons from graduate coursework, and practical strategies grounded in frameworks like FourSight, the 4 Ps of Creativity, and collaborative problem solving. You’ll hear honest insights, actionable ideas, and stories from the field designed to help you lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
This isn’t about quick fixes or trendy buzzwords.
It’s about people.
It’s about process.
And it’s about creating schools where both adults and students can thrive.
If you’re ready for authentic conversations, thoughtful leadership, and practical creativity in education — welcome to Real Talk School Leadership.
Episode #9 - Finishing Strong: Practical Strategies for Engaging Students and Surviving the Last Weeks of School
The final weeks of the school year can feel like a whirlwind. Between report cards, field trips, awards ceremonies, classroom cleanup, assessments, and countless end-of-year tasks, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed while still trying to provide meaningful learning experiences for students. In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we explore practical, research-based strategies for finishing the school year strong. We discuss why student attention and motivation often change as summer appro...
10 Apr 2026
Episode #8 - What Disney Can Teach Us About Schools: Designing Experiences That Engage, Motivate, and Inspire
In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we explore what might seem like an unexpected connection — what Disney can teach us about schools. From the moment you walk into a Disney park or resort, every detail is intentionally designed to create an unforgettable experience. The lighting, the music, the interactions, the storytelling — nothing is left to chance. And the more we step back and think about it, the more we realize: Schools are designing experiences every single day too. The q...
7 Apr 2026
Episode #7 - Understanding People: The Key to Better Teaching and Stronger Teams
In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we take a step back from systems and strategies to focus on something that sits at the center of it all — understanding people. We spend a lot of time in education talking about curriculum, instruction, and outcomes. But the reality is, none of that works the way we want it to if we don’t truly understand the students in front of us, the colleagues we work with, and the teams we’re part of. Grounded in research from Carl Rogers, Amy Edmondson, D...
31 Mar 2026
Episode #6 - Creativity by Design: Rethinking What School Can Be
What does it really take to prepare students for a future we can’t predict? In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, Dan Mault introduces the core ideas behind his upcoming book, Creativity by Design: A Practical Guide to Innovation, Student Engagement, and Creative Teaching. This conversation dives into one of the biggest challenges facing schools today—how to move beyond compliance-driven learning and begin developing students who can think, adapt, and create. Dan breaks down the Cre...
3 Mar 2026
Episode #5 - Play = Problem Solving: Why Elementary Classrooms Need More Play, Not Less
In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we dig into something that often gets squeezed out of elementary schedules — play — and why research says that’s a mistake. If we truly want students who can think critically, solve complex problems, and innovate in a rapidly changing world, then play isn’t extra… it’s essential. Grounded in research from Jaak Panksepp, Stuart Brown, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, and Roberta Golinkoff, this episode explores how pla...
8 Feb 2026
Episode #4 - Leadership & Climate: How Environment Shapes Innovation, Culture, and Results
In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, I explore how organizational climate and culture shape everything from collaboration and innovation to staff engagement and student success. Building on earlier conversations about thinking preferences, psychological safety, and the problem-solving process, this episode zooms out to examine the environments leaders and teams create every day, whether intentionally or unintentionally. We unpack the important distinction between climate ...
2 Feb 2026
Episode #3 - Psychological Safety: The Foundation of Creativity, Collaboration, Climate, and Student Success
In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we explore why psychological safety is the foundation of creativity, innovation, and meaningful change in schools and how leaders can intentionally build climates where both adults and students thrive. Building on earlier conversations about thinking preferences and the problem-solving process (Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement), this episode dives into what it truly means to create a judgment-free environment where ideas are welcomed, all vo...
29 Jan 2026
Episode #2 - People + Process: How We Can Turn Ideas Into Impact
In this episode of Real Talk School Leadership, we builds on last week’s conversation about thinking preferences and dive deeper into how schools and organizations can turn good ideas into real impact. Using the FourSight problem-solving process — Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement — we explore why both the process and the people matter. You’ll hear how Clarifiers, Ideators, Developers, and Implementers each play a critical role in innovation, and why so many school initiatives struggle when...
26 Jan 2026
Episode #1 - Thinking Together: What Organizational Creativity Taught Me About Leadership
In this episode, I reflect on my J-term course Organizational Creativity and Innovation (led by Dr. Michael Ackerbauer - check out his Ted Talk here) from the Creativity and Change Leadership program at Buffalo State University and how it’s reshaping the way I lead as a school principal. We dive into FourSight and thinking preferences, the 4 Ps of creativity through A Bug’s Life, and a great book: Good Team, Bad Team, by Sarah Thurber and Blair Miller (available on Amazon) to explore how crea...
Contact Real Talk School Leadership with Dan Mault
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Real Talk School Leadership with Dan Mault?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
