Moving Beyond 'If Everyone Would Just…' in School Leadership

ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice explores how school leaders can move beyond the ineffective mindset of "If everyone would just..." and instead focus on generating genuine buy-in for school initiatives. By fostering engagement, creating spaces for open discussion, and building a shared vision, leaders can inspire their staff, students, and community to rally behind a common goal. We'll discuss practical strategies for turning resistance into enthusiasm and why real progress requires input and ownership from all stakeholders. Join us for a conversation on how to create lasting, positive change in schools.

For additional thoughts from Director Alderdice, visit coreyalderdice.com.

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Learn more about ASMSA at asmsa.org/thrive.

Transcript

We’re diving into something that hits close to home for every school leader: how to truly get buy-in for the big changes and initiatives we all dream of implementing. You know, the kinds of ideas that could transform a school culture, improve student outcomes, and create the kind of environment where everyone thrives.

Now, I came across a quote recently that really got me thinking. It goes something like this: "If your solution to some problem relies on the phrase 'If everyone would just...' then you don’t actually have a solution. Everyone is not going to just. At no time in the history of the universe has everyone just, and they're not going to start now." 

That struck a chord with me. Because, how many times have we found ourselves saying, “If everyone would just get on board, this would work”? Or, “If the teachers would just follow this plan, or the if students would just...” But the reality is, that’s not how change happens. Not in schools. Not in life. Everyone is not going to *just* anything.

So how do we, as school leaders, move beyond the "If everyone would just..." mindset and actually get people to *want* to come along for the ride? It starts with understanding that real buy-in comes from engagement, discussion, and creating a shared vision that people can see themselves in. 

Let’s talk about engagement first. Schools are all about relationships, right? If we want our staff, students, and even parents to be excited about new programs or approaches, we can’t just present a plan and expect automatic enthusiasm. We’ve got to invite people into the process early on. That means asking questions, listening—really listening—to their concerns and ideas. 

And I don’t mean just going through the motions. People know when you’re asking for their input just to check a box. Real engagement is about sitting down and saying, “Hey, here’s what we’re thinking. What are your thoughts? What worries you about this? What excites you?” It’s a conversation, not a monologue.

When people feel heard, when they feel like their voice matters, you’d be amazed at how much more willing they are to jump on board. Even if they don’t agree with everything, there’s this sense of shared ownership. It’s no longer *my* initiative; it’s *our* initiative.

This brings me to the next piece: open discussion. We know that in schools, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day whirlwind. But if we don’t carve out space for meaningful discussions, we miss the opportunity to build consensus. And consensus isn’t about getting 100% agreement on every little thing. It’s about making sure everyone’s voice is part of the conversation and finding common ground.

A lot of times, we as leaders might avoid open discussions because, let’s face it, they can get messy. People will disagree. Some folks might be really passionate in their opposition to what we’re trying to do. But that’s okay. In fact, that’s *good*. If people feel safe enough to express their concerns, that’s a sign of a healthy school culture.  A professor once explained to me that the only way to raise a kite is into the wind.  The goal should never be to stifle dissent, but to generate productive debate that leads to better outcomes.

In these discussions, it’s key to frame everything around the *why*. Why are we making this change? Why is this new approach important? When you tie things back to your school’s core values and the ultimate goal—student success, teacher empowerment, a thriving community—then even those who might be skeptical can start to see the bigger picture.

And that’s where the shared vision comes in. You can’t have buy-in without a shared vision. People need to see themselves in the story you’re telling. If your vision doesn’t resonate with the lived experiences of your teachers, students, or parents, it’s not going to stick. They need to feel like, “This is for me. This is something I want to be part of.”

I’ve seen school leaders who have a vision so compelling, so clear, that people naturally want to be part of it. It’s not about forcing anyone. It’s about painting a picture of a future that’s so appealing, so aligned with what everyone wants for their students and their school community, that people start thinking, “How can I contribute to this?” That’s the magic of a shared vision.

But let’s be real for a second: even with all the engagement, all the open discussion, and the most inspiring shared vision, there will still be some people who resist. And that’s okay. We don’t need everyone to just agree on everything. What we need is enough momentum, enough positive energy, to move the work forward. And over time, even the doubters might start to see the value in what you’re doing.

I think that’s why it’s so important to keep the focus on progress rather than perfection. We don’t need to get everything right on the first try. What we need is to keep moving in the right direction, even if it’s slow at first. And we need to celebrate the small wins along the way.

So, if you’re a school leader feeling stuck because you’re waiting for everyone to “just get on board,” I encourage you to shift your approach. Start thinking about how you can engage your staff, your students, your community in a deeper way. Create spaces for open, sometimes messy discussions. And work together to build a shared vision that people can believe in and rally around.

In the end, it’s not about forcing anyone to "just" do anything. It’s about creating the conditions where they *want* to be part of the journey. And when that happens? Well, that’s when the real magic begins.