Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast
Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast: where culture, communication, and context meet at work. Discover what cultural influences have formed the careers of noteworthy leaders in a variety of professions, by exploring the groups that shaped who they are today. Learn about the collective context and experiences that affect their worldview, leadership style, workplace communication and behaviour.
Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast
Nicholas Wahl – Follow Your Bliss
Bio for Nicholas Wahl
Nicholas D. Wahl, Ed.D. is Director of Client Relations for ECRA Group, Founder/Chief Strategist of 1440 Consultants Inc., and a K-12 education leader.
Episode highlight
Nicholas Wahl is a leader in education with a depth of experience in his arsenal. Listen in on how he believes education should be designed to ensure that there are no invisible children.
Links
Email: nick@1440consultants.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-wahl/
Quotes
“Like all of us, kids really want to have a connected, meaningful relationship with at least one person, preferably two, in the school building.”
Takeaways
Childhood Incidents
Nicholas was the youngest of six children growing up in Ferdinand, Indiana. His role model was his father, a high school principal. Nicholas was ostracized by his peer group in middle school and that understanding carried forward into his work in education.
Nicholas’ high school counsellor told him that he was not as intelligent as his siblings and that he should stick to his summer construction job instead of going to college. That motivated him to finish graduate school and get his doctorate.
Influential Groups
Nicholas grew up in Ferdinand, Indiana, a town of 2500 people that was predominantly German Catholic. He learned a strong work ethic and is proud of his roots.
He wanted to model and follow his siblings in their footsteps, playing sports, and going to the same high school.
In his career as a superintendent, he worked with his peers to create evidence-based practice and metrics, focusing on the growth and wellness of students.
Temperament and Personality Influences
Nicholas laments that his temperament was so competitive that it was unhealthy. He is learning to be a better listener in his position of influence at work.
Cultural Epiphanies
Every Wednesday, Nicholas and his classmates would go to the nun’s house for an hour, and he only learned there are people who are not Catholics when he asked some students who chose not to go.
Advice to an Employer
Nicholas works with groups on team building and coaching to emerge out of the pandemic getting to know their peers better, interacting well, and making sure everyone is heard.
More Great Insights!
ECRA has analytical tools which can provide clarity on how students are performing by ethnicity and gender, and Nicholas can help provide a strategic plan for the next steps.
