Building Strong Foundations for Leadership & Growth with Melinda Elridge

What does it take to move from survival mode to true leadership?In this week’s episode, Chanie interviews Mel Elridge, a director at an early education lab school, who shares her powerful transformation since joining the Schools of Excellence program in 2020. Together, they explore how Mel built stronger connections within her team, shifted her mindset from chaos to growth, and implemented practical systems that foster a healthier work-life balance. Key Topics Discussed: The vitality of cultivating social connection within school staff for creating a healthy, supportive environment. How leadership development rooted in mindset shifts and strong foundational values is essential for sustainable growth. Practical time management systems, like time-blocking, allow leaders to balance professional responsibilities and personal well-being. The importance of trusting the value of your program and investing in its growth and its effects on effective advocacy for school resources. Embracing difficult conversations as an opportunity for growth strengthens school leadership and relationships. Mel’s journey offers valuable lessons for any early education leader seeking sustainable growth and a thriving school culture. We support ECE leaders like you to grow their enrollment, retain their staff, and create freedom! To learn more about how to work with us, apply here for a call!https://airtable.com/app35MKA8diZnD2WQ/shrse1exQfLyrXszSLearn more and apply for the Director’s Inner Circle & Owner’s HQ: https://schoolsofexcellence.com/membership/  More about the show:If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.  Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.