It’s Not the Plan, It’s the Leadership: Enacting Systems That Work

“Vision without implementation is counterproductive.”

  -  Douglas B. Reeves

In our last post, we made a clear case: professional development isn’t a piece of the improvement plan - it is the improvement plan. We outlined what an effective PD system requires:

• Coherence and focus

• Tiered, differentiated supports

• Short-cycle improvement loops

• Embedded collaboration and coaching

• A culture that supports adult learning

But here’s the reality that we see in schools every day: Many leaders agree with this vision, but they struggle to bring it to fruition. That’s not because the system is wrong. It’s because systems don’t enact themselves.

Why Strong PD Systems Still Break Down

Most failed improvement efforts don’t fail at the design stage - they fail in execution. Leadership teams create thoughtful plans, align documents, and schedule PD days. And yet:

• The work drifts,

• Coaching becomes reactive,

• Teams lose focus,

• And momentum fades.

As Doug Reeves reminds us: vision without implementation is counterproductive.

The issue is leadership enactment - the daily, strategic moves that keep a system breathing.

The Leadership Moves That Make the PD System Work

What follows are not “extra” leadership tasks - they are the core behaviors required to turn a PD system from theory into practice.

1. Lead Focus Before You Lead Learning

This is the hidden skill behind every successful PD system: the ability to say no. Strong leadership starts with subtracting, not adding. Why? 

Because overwhelmed teachers don’t improve - no one does. Instead of launching five priorities, ask:  “What do I want to be true in classrooms 90 days from now?” Then design backward from that vision, and make sure everyone knows what it is. This is coherence in action.

2. Design the Calendar Around the Learning

PD systems collapse when learning time is treated as flexible or optional. Strong leaders:

• Start with an intentional, instructional focus

• Map whole-group learning, team collaboration, and coaching backward from that focus

• Relentlessly protect time for professional development 

Avoid the trap: Don’t let PD become “what’s left” after everything else is scheduled. If the calendar doesn’t reflect your priorities, neither will classroom practice.

3. Use Evidence, Not Compliance, to Drive Support

Leadership enactment means shifting how data is used. Instead of:

• Checklists

• One-time walkthroughs

• End-of-year results

Effective leaders use:

• Short-cycle evidence

• Observation trends tied to the instructional focus

• Coaching data that shows growth over time

The goal isn’t accountability - it’s learning.

Evidence tells leaders where to lean in and how to adjust support - in real time.

4. Distribute Leadership Without Losing Direction

You cannot (and should not) run your professional development program on your own. However, distributed leadership only works when:

• The vision is clear

• Roles are intentionally designed

• Leaders model the learning they expect

• PLC facilitators, coaches, and teacher leaders don’t need more autonomy, just clarity and alignment.

This is how systems sustain themselves beyond one leader.

5. Create Momentum Through Visible Wins

“Go slow to go fast” is one of the most common traps in PD planning. We avoid overwhelming staff by taking a year to get started - meanwhile, nothing changes. Instead, start with one high-leverage shift:

• Objectives on the board

• More student talk

• Exit tickets tied to learning goals

Then celebrate progress. Use real examples. Celebrate visible impact (loudly!).. This early momentum builds trust, engagement, and belief. That’s the fuel your system runs on.

Leadership Is the Difference-Maker

If improving student outcomes depends on improving teaching (and it does), then leadership capacity becomes the decisive factor.

Not charisma.

Not compliance.

Not another initiative.

Consistent, strategic, enactment.

That’s what turns a PD system into a living engine for improvement.

And it’s exactly where most schools need the most support.

Reflection Question

Which leadership move above is most critical for your context right now - and which one is hardest to sustain?