Foreword Introduction Chapter 1: Build Boundaries, Not Walls Chapter 2: Fill Your Bucket First: The Habit of Self-Care Chapter 3: Be the Vision Caster Chapter 4: Check Your Blind Spots Chapter 5: Habits of Lead Learners Chapter 6: High Expectations for All Chapter 7: Data Habits of an Evaluative Thinker Chapter 8: Feedback Habits to Fuel Your Impact Chapter 9: Don't Travel Alone Chapter 10: Manage Change or It Will Manage You: The Habits of a Resilient Leader Epilogue References Cited
Build resilience, lead with purpose, and thrive in any challenge. Education leaders face mounting pressures and unprecedented challenges, with many feeling the strain of constant change and uncertainty. Habits of Resilient Leaders offers a practical framework and proven habits that extend beyond self-care and managerial skills, arming leaders with tools to foster improved well-being, empower their teams, and create a positive impact in their schools and districts. Addressing the growing attrition rate among K-12 leaders globally, this book provides actionable strategies to cultivate resilience and ensure long-term sustainability in leadership. Key features include Practical strategies for fostering resilience, maintaining your well-being, and addressing challenges without impacting your health Guidance for developing habits for boundary-setting, cultivating vision, managing change, and leading with optimism and emotional intelligence Authentic examples of habits in action and reflection activities to support implementation With a focus on personal and professional growth, this must-read guide supports education leaders to rediscover their "why," maintain stability for their teams, and foster thriving environments for students, staff, and their broader communities.
Dr. Lindsay Prendergast brings two decades of experience in global education, where her roles have ranged from leadership coach to principal, consultant, and classroom teacher. As a senior leader with The Danielson Group and founder of EdHabits consulting (www.edhabits.com), she collaborates with districts, schools, and educators to promote equitable teaching and learning. She coauthored the bestselling Habits of Resilient Educators: Strategies for Thriving During Times of Anxiety, Doubt, and Constant Change (Prendergast & Lee, 2024) and Habits of Resilient Leaders: Personal Practices That Drive Professional Impact (Prendergast & Lee, 2025), and Habits for Resilient Learners: Empowering Students to Thrive Through Challenge and Change, as well as dozens of articles and manuscripts in the field of education. Lindsay's work centers on leading systems change and advancing instructional leadership with practical and impactful insights. Recognized as an ASCD Emerging Leader and Champion in Education as well as an AAIE Fellow, Lindsay is an established thought leader who frequently shares her expertise on leadership development, growth-centered supervision, and assessment practices through ASCD, Learning Forward, Edutopia, AAIE, EARCOS, AMLE, Cognia, and more. Driven by a commitment to impactful change and global competence, Lindsay's work empowers educators to navigate complex challenges, fostering environments where both teachers and students thrive. Lindsay holds a bachelor's degree from Wofford College, a master's degree in education leadership from Colorado Western State University, and a doctoral degree in education leadership from Wilkes University. Piper Lee brings over twenty-six years of experiential wisdom in education, including teaching, administration, instructional coaching, and leadership development. Her dedication to enhancing student learning and teacher effectiveness drives her national work as an instructional leadership coach. Piper has partnered with students, educators, leadership teams, and families across various contexts, including support for district leaders and principals in one of the largest school districts in the country. Post-pandemic, she coached more than eight superintendents and over forty-five principals alongside Lindsay Prendergast, dedicating extensive time to data analysis, facilitating professional learning communities, and classroom observations. These experiences shape her evidence-based approach and inform the purpose of this book. Piper champions the philosophy that "rigorous relationships" are foundational to transformative school cultures and effective leadership. Piper holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education, a master's in curriculum and instruction, and an education leadership certification from Winona State University. Grounded in practical strategies and informed by deep field experience, Piper equips education leaders to navigate complexity and foster environments where both students and educators thrive.