Holding the Plan Loosely
At the SAIS Conference this year, two ideas have stayed with me over the last couple of days.
The first came from Brittany Hodak’s keynote, Creating Superfans. She emphasized the idea that in our schools we are all in the experience department. People don’t form opinions from a mission statement—they form them from moments. A conversation in the carpool line. A kind email that arrives at the right time. A detail remembered that didn’t have to be.
The second came from Chris Cleveland who was presenting on sustaining leaders. Chris told the story of Martin Luther King Jr. beginning his “I Have a Dream” speech with notes in hand—until someone called out, “Tell them about your dream.” He set the notes aside, and the rest became history.
Both ideas point to the same truth—the most meaningful experiences are intentionally shaped and authentically lived. They’re planned carefully, but held loosely enough for something true to emerge.
When Brooke Peterson and I presented on Discover Bham, one attendee said what struck him most was the honesty with which we shared who we are and where we are. We could have offered a polished version of what’s quickly becoming an impressive program. But that’s not the real story…
In reality, it started with five eighth graders, an enrollment crisis, a retention hope, and, truthfully, a leap of faith.
What it’s become is a reflection of curiosity meeting context—of a school learning to build something rooted in its place. And that process—messy and iterative—I believe is what makes it resonate.
The same is true of hosting, of teaching, of leadership itself. People can feel when something’s been overproduced, just as they can feel when something’s been prepared with care. The difference is that one performs and the other invites.
Creating superfans—or simply creating belonging—doesn’t come from flawless design or grand gestures. It’s the quiet rhythm of attention, practiced until it feels like instinct. Because when we set the notes aside, we make room for the moment. And in that space, things start to sound a little more like us.