Case Study:

From Dependence on One Leader to Distributed Leadership and a Thriving Team

A high-performing principal of an alternative high school had saved her school from closure–but years later, her manager reached out because they had hit a plateau. Almost every critical decision still depended on her, and with her first child on the way, there was real concern about how the school would function during her parental leave–or if she would even be able to take the full leave.

We partnered with her to clarify roles and goals for the entire leadership team, built simple, high-impact culture systems and prepared the team for the upcoming leave through intentional development.

Client Reflection

"Your belief in my leadership means so much to me, and you always give such great advice to help me see a situation in a new way. Your work with me showed me what a difference coach-sulting can truly make to leaders and schools."

— Principal

In a nine month coach-sulting project, we:

  • Clarified roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority across the leadership team

  • Defined shared goals to build cohesion and direction

  • Developed simple, high-impact culture systems to reduce bottlenecks

  • Designed and implemented a leadership development plan to prepare them for the upcoming leave and support the leader and team after her return

Our Approach

  • The principal took her full leave—and the school thrived.

  • Staff retention and engagement rose.

  • Leadership clarity rippled across the building.

  • The principal stayed for several more years, energized and supported.

The Results

Case Study:

Turning Team Chaos into Clear Systems and Confident Leadership

A K–8 charter school principal stepped into leadership during COVID, inheriting a large and opinionated team amid a significant change in instructional model and high turnover. The leadership team struggled to work in sync and was unclear on who owned what, leaving the principal with too many decisions on his plate and no clear systems to rely on.

Client Reflection

“Beth helped me name exactly what I own and what my leaders own. That gave us the alignment we’d been missing. This partnership didn’t just make me a better principal—it made my entire team stronger and more accountable. We didn’t just survive a period of chaos—we built systems that will last."

— Principal

Through a year of 1:1 coach‑sulting, we:

  • Clarified what the principal owned versus what belonged to other leaders

  • Redefined team roles, decision-making structures, and meeting cadences

  • Built simple systems to support and develop leaders so they had real areas of ownership and accountability

Our Approach

  • The principal stepped into his role with clarity and confidence, which his team immediately noticed

  • Leaders owned their work streams and took responsibility for outcomes

  • Meetings became focused and productive, freeing time and energy for tackling the issues that arose

  • The organization ran on systems—not personalities—improving both how people worked and how time was used across the school

The Results

Case Study:

Clarifying Identity and Values to Align Culture

A tuition‑free boys’ middle school in Boston emerged from the pandemic facing high staff turnover and team misalignment. The Head of School saw hardworking people who weren’t seeing the results they wanted—and didn’t feel like they were working as one team. This instability risked morale and long‑term program health.

Client Reflection

“It was easy to work withthe LevelEDUp Leadership: they had front line knowledge of education, were friendly, experienced and not afraid to push back on ideas that may not make sense.”

— Head of School

In a six‑month coach‑sulting engagement, we:

  • Built a shared vision and articulated core values with clear and tangible definitions

  • Developed recommendations to embed those values in systems like onboarding, professional development, and school culture rituals

  • Provided change‑management support and coaching to leadership

Our Approach

  • Increased engagement and morale across the staff

  • Clearer identity and messaging, influencing onboarding and professional development

  • Improved team alignment and overall program stability, with both quantitative results (staff recruitment and retention) and qualitative gains (staff connection and confidence)

The Results

Case Study:

From Organizational Crisis to Stability and Alignment

The largest homeless shelter for women and children in a major U.S. city was in trouble: years of operational drift and board disengagement had left its future uncertain. The Board President and executive committee needed clarity on just how serious the internal issues were—and what steps to take to stabilize the organization before it was too late.

Client Reflection

“Beth’s ability to pivot as our organization was pivoting allowed us to come to a really great solution. She customized her process and strategy based on our changing needs, which was essential for us during a critical moment.”

— Board President

In a six month consulting engagement, we partnered with the Board to:

  • Diagnose the scope of organizational challenges and surface root causes

  • Clarify governance processes and decision-making roles

  • Build alignment among board leaders, staff, and key stakeholders

  • Begin rebuilding a culture of trust and shared purpose

Our Approach

  • A clear, actionable understanding of the challenges facing the organization

  • Alignment across the board and key stakeholders on next steps

  • Early cultural shifts toward trust and collaboration, laying the foundation for long-term stability

The Results