Early childhood leaders carry invisible pressure every day. Learn how to avoid burnout through rhythms and sustainable leadership with Chanie Wilschanski.
Behind every staffing call, difficult conversation and licensing visit, early childhood leaders carry an immense emotional weight that’s often invisible.
In this episode, Rhonda Meyers sits down with leadership coach, speaker and author Chanie Wilschanski to talk about burnout, relational leadership and the rhythms that help leaders stay grounded.
Chanie shares how years of caregiving and high-achievement led her to confront the exhaustion so many leaders normalize.
[00:08:24] "Leaders are not addicted to control. You are allergic to collapse. You are terrified of what will collapse if you stop." 
Things started to change when Chanie’s business mentor asked her: What if you don’t need to protect your energy; what if you can create it? She realized that leaders normalize the exhaustion they feel because they’ve decided that it’s the cost of success.  
Rhonda and Chanie discuss practical ways leaders can create rhythms of connection, gratitude and communication that strengthen teams and outperform traditional “standards” many schools set:
[00:23:55] “Your standards have to be able to be pressure-tested and not renegotiated in real time when things are tiring and overwhelming.”
This conversation is a reminder to leaders that building a sustainable culture while avoiding burnout is possible with the right perspective and support.
Resources mentioned in this episode
<a href="https://thiscantbenormal.com/">“This Can’t Be Normal”</a> by Chanie Wilschanski
*Email cw@chanie.me after purchasing the book for bonus training on the top five rhythms to install in your school
<a href="https://schoolsofexcellence.com/podcast/">Schools of Excellence podcast</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Your-Way-Through-Conflict/dp/1631984942">“Finding Your Way Through Conflict”</a> by Chris Amirault and Christine Snyder

Leadership, Burnout, and Creating Rhythms That Restore

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