The Power of Planting Seeds

“The future depends on what you do today."

— Mahatma Gandhi

Change fails when we start the process too late in the season.

Many leaders wait until August to talk about change. But by then, their staff have already made their plans, and changing course now - right before students come in for the first day of school - can lead to unease and even resistance. Change bumps up against summer inertia, the comfort of past routines, and the stress of new school year logistics. What if we started earlier? What if we tilled the ground in spring so the seeds of change could grow over the summer?

Plant seeds early.

In schools, change doesn’t fail because it’s wrong—it fails because it’s rushed. Our brains are wired for consistency and stability. We resist disruption, even when we believe in the goal. If we wait until the last minute, we activate fear responses. But if we give teams time to think, talk, and reflect, we move them toward curiosity and ownership.

Here’s the science behind it:

• Time, involvement, and shared discovery reduce threat and increase buy-in. Psychological safety—a term coined by Amy Edmondson (1999)—is essential for teams to take risks and embrace new ideas. Leaders who create this safety through early, inclusive conversations foster openness to change.

• The brain craves safety and predictability. Neuroscience shows that unexpected change activates the amygdala—our brain’s fear center—triggering a threat response (Rock, 2009). This is why people often resist even positive changes unless they feel safe and in control - they aren’t being defiant or rebellious, they just don’t feel safe.

• Change triggers anxiety unless accompanied by a sense of agency. Self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) highlights autonomy as one of three basic psychological needs. When individuals feel they have a voice in shaping the change, they’re far more likely to engage in a new strategy.

A spring strategy for change

Earlier this spring, I worked with a school on revamping their master schedule. We didn’t start with scheduling. We looked for an entry point to the conversation.  The school has been focused on differentiation and tiered interventions, so we started by asking: What’s getting in the way of your Tier 2 interventions working?

That one question led to incredible insights. Teachers connected the dots themselves. They realized their current schedule was the obstacle to finding ample time for interventions—and they proposed the change in scheduling themselves. Because they owned the problem, they now own the solution, and it can roll out in the fall without a hitch.

Leaders can prep the field in three key ways:

1. Surface the problem.Use data, reflections, or student work to help teams see what’s not working. Let them articulate the need before you introduce the solution. You can lecture and Powerpoint all day long, but true investment  and ownership takes introspection and problem-solving that incorporates an individual’s own personal experience.

2. Involve teacher leaders and Building Leadership Teams. Spring is the perfect time to gather input and test the waters - you have a trove of data from throughout the year to initiate conversations with, and a team that’s already thinking ahead to what they want to do differently next year. Use leadership teams as sounding boards and planning partners.

3. Use data to frame next year.Don’t end the year without asking: Did we meet our goals? Collect clear implementation data now, while it’s fresh. Celebrate your growth, identify areas that still need improvement, and outline a plan that will foster even more success next year before everyone runs out the door for summer. 

Leadership is vision—proactive, not reactive.

Effective school leaders are always a few steps ahead. They don’t wait for a clean slate in August. They use the final months of the year to plan, prepare, and till the ground for what’s next.

Don’t lose the chance to set next year’s work in motion. The harvest starts with what you plant now.

How are you involving your staff right now to set up success for next year?