School Leadership’s Loneliest Struggle—and How to Beat It

When I first stepped into school leadership, I expected it to be hard. I expected the long hours, the difficult conversations, and the pressure to perform. What I didn’t expect was how lonely it would feel and how even on a team, surrounded by people, the weight of the job could feel like it was mine alone to carry.

The biggest challenge I’ve faced in this work hasn’t been instructional strategy, staffing, or community engagement. It’s been the unrelenting dema...