In schools, that moment may come when a principal or assistant principal faces a tough decision: a discipline issue, a staffing crisis, or a parent conflict. In the Navy, it comes when a Chief is asked to uphold the standard. Different settings, same weight of responsibility.
Leadership resilience comes from earned challenges. These are the times you can’t pass the decision off, when the outcome depends on your judgment.
Too often, professional development skips over this reality. Leaders don’t just need theory; they need progressive exposure to real responsibility.
Four Keys to Growing Resilient Leaders:
- Assignments with purpose. Give leaders challenges that match their growth areas.
- Progressive expectations. Responsibilities should increase as leaders advance.
- Real stakes. The outcome should matter, not just check a training box.
- Support with guardrails. Stretch leaders without abandoning them.
The military does this by design. Schools can too. They can do this by tying earned challenges to everyday responsibilities, debriefing quickly afterward, and treating routines as growth opportunities.
Resilient leaders aren’t born. They’re built, one earned challenge at a time.
Want the full story?
In the full version of this article, I share the first real earned challenge I faced as a Navy Chief. I describe how it tested me, what it taught me, and how those lessons connect directly to today’s school leaders.
👉 [Upgrade to read the full story and detailed Earned-Challenges framework.]