Next Year Starts Now - Building a Strategic Calendar
- May 26
- 2 min read
At this point in the year, most school leaders are simply trying to make it to June.
And understandably so.
There are still concerts, commencements, staffing conversations, Board meetings, parent concerns, and leadership transitions—all competing for attention before the year comes to a close.
Most leaders are tired right now.
But one idea has surfaced repeatedly in this month’s LeaderNetwork Roundtables with school leaders around the world:
Next year starts now.
Not in July or August.
Not during opening meetings.
Now.
Because the strongest leaders we know use the summer for more than recovery. They use it to step back and thoughtfully shape the year ahead before the pace accelerates again.
One of the smartest ways to do that?
Build a Strategic Calendar
This idea emerged in part from William Sprankles’ Edutopia article, “10 Things Great School Leaders Do Over the Summer.”
Among the many strong ideas in the piece, this one immediately resonated with leaders in our Roundtables.
At first glance, that may sound simple.
But it’s actually one of the most important leadership practices of the summer.
Too often, school years become consumed by:
urgency,
meetings,
incoming requests,
crises, and
everyone else’s priorities.
By October, many leaders feel like they are reacting to the year rather than leading it intentionally.
Building a strategic calendar helps change that.
It’s not simply a schedule.
It’s a leadership roadmap.
1. Calendar Priorities Before Urgency Takes Over
If something matters deeply, it should exist on the calendar before the year begins.
That may include:
leadership retreats,
classroom visits,
strategic planning checkpoints,
faculty culture-building moments,
board touchpoints, and
protected thinking time.
Too many important leadership priorities become “if there’s time” activities.
What gets calendared gets protected.
2. Think About The Flow of the Year
Strong leaders think beyond isolated meetings and moments.
They think carefully about the flow of the year:
When will reflection happen?
Where will communication remain consistent?
When will the leadership team step back and recalibrate?
What moments require extra visibility or support?
Most difficult school years don’t unravel all at once.
They drift because the pace of the year takes over.
3. Schedule Renewal Before You Need It
Too many school leaders wait until exhaustion arrives before thinking about recovery.
Strong leaders protect:
family time,
vacations,
exercise,
reflection,
friendships, and
unstructured space.
Not because they’re less committed.
Because leadership is difficult to sustain without renewal.
Exhausted leaders rarely lead strategically.
Summer matters.
Not simply because leaders need rest.
But because leadership requires perspective.
And perspective requires space.
Too often, school leaders move directly from one demanding year into another without stepping back long enough to think intentionally about how they want to lead.
The best leaders don't simply enter the year.
They design it.
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