Jason McCleod, Middle School Humanities Teacher at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, FL
I had no idea what to expect when I entered the Leadership Lab in the summer of 2024. I had just completed my first year as an educator, ambitiously chasing perfection. I was encouraged to participate in the program by school leaders who had previously completed it. However, they provided me with minimal information regarding their actual experiences at the Lab, beyond what they shared about the place, of course. What they did share, intentionally and consistently, was the way they led: through strong relationships, deep compassion, and thoughtful organization. Their example and encouragement pushed me to take the leap. With little expectation, great hope, and good vibes, I travelled almost 2,000 miles to explore the pedagogy of leadership.
I arrived with a few wonderings, such as, who am I as a leader, how can I bring my best self into the classroom daily, and where are my blind spots? The gcLi Leadership Lab was a life-altering experience, and I am grateful for the scholarship grant, which provided an opportunity to further my education.
gcLi Leadership Lab Experience
From day one, it was clear that the lab prioritized three key aspects: understanding students, understanding oneself, and capitalizing on teachable moments. These values were present throughout the Lab, including pre-Lab readings, group sessions, working definitions, and staff presentations. Feedback proved to be an impactful way to gain an understanding of all three priorities. Through group forming and buddy pairing, we not only learned about effective feedback theory, but we also experienced it.
My favorite experiences in the Lab involved group cohesion. The helium stick activity challenged the team to work together and avoid releasing the stick as it was lowered to the ground. Unfortunately, the team failed. Fortunately, I was in the audience for this activity, and I enjoyed observing it, as it provided an opportunity to gain insight into the students’ experiences as they encountered stress-inducing moments. During the activity, I noticed that the team constantly lived in two extremes: either there were too many voices, or no one spoke at all. At one point, a team member acknowledged some of the people who had not contributed ideas, giving the thinkers the floor to speak. This became a teachable moment during reflection, drawing on Donald H. McGannon’s definition of leadership: “Leadership is action, not position.”
Students must understand that everyone has the potential to be a leader. Some people lead by example, while others are vocal. The best part about this activity is that a few of us got together later in the day to attempt the helium stick and succeeded. Although after reflection and feedback, it felt just as rewarding to accomplish what was impossible just hours earlier!
The pedagogy of leadership is full of analogies, and the most beneficial one for me comes from Ron Heifetz: the balcony and the dance floor. Leadership often requires taking a step back to gain a different perspective, while also knowing when to engage fully. The Leadership Lab provided opportunities for learners to experience both the balcony and the dance floor. Though I observed the working group during the helium stick activity, I participated in the traffic jam activity. This activity provided an opportunity to undergo a stress-inducing moment, receive feedback from peers, and engage in self-reflection. Through each encounter, I formulated answers to my wonderings. The answers are still not complete. However, these are things I continue to explore as a Penn GSE Master’s in School Leadership candidate.
Penn GSE School Leadership Program (SLP)
School leaders occupy a unique position as both fire starters and firefighters. While leaders are responsible for creating and refining structures that impact all stakeholders, they must also be the first to live within those designs, modeling expectations and carrying the school’s vision forward as a learning community. This understanding lies at the heart of why I chose to pursue SLP, and why the gcLi Lab has served as a meaningful entry point into my graduate experience.
The fall semester brought readings, discussions, and instructors who emphasized joy, cultural responsiveness, and relationship building as essential elements for the success of all learning environments. These themes felt familiar to me because they mirrored my school climate and the values embedded throughout the Leadership Lab. Effective school leaders must have the tools and support to start fires by driving change and fight fires by knowing when to slow down, repair harm, and stabilize the community. As a humanities teacher and football coach, I see these responsibilities play out daily in every aspect of my position. In my early coursework at Penn, collaboration is not just stimulated; it is a lived experience.
Much like gcLi, group forming, storming, and norming are daily realities. While the Fall group experienced very little storming, the collaborative nature of our assignments requires each student to navigate differing perspectives, lean into individual strengths, and communicate effectively. This structure reinforces that leadership is not about control or position, but about relationships and trust. It’s about dealing with real people in real moments.
Distributed leadership is essentially leadership spread across people, roles, and situations. Similar to McGannon’s definition, distributed leadership emphasizes interactions, rather than positions. In one activity, we identified our dominant leadership tendencies within four categories: analyzer, driver, energizer, or harmonizer. I identified most as a harmonizer, as my instinct is to check the room temperature, ensure voices are heard, and prioritize what is best for the group. This role allows me to serve in whatever capacity the group needs most. In moments of stress or conflict, harmonizers serve as firefighters, stabilizing dynamics so the group can continue moving forward. At other times, we help spark momentum quietly, allowing others to take the lead. Both roles matter. These experiences have reinforced something gcLi emphasized repeatedly: leadership is contextual. Some moments call for bold action while other moments require restraint, reflection, and listening. Fire starters and firefighters are not opposites, they are complements. Strong leaders must learn when to be each of these.
Habits that support reflection have been essential to my growth this semester. Attending to habits of mind, engaging in reflective journaling, and leaning into mentorship have all played a central role in my development. Writing has allowed me to process difficult moments honestly, while mentorship has pushed me to interrogate my assumptions and uncover blind spots. Both of my mentors offer thoughtful guidance and consistently model effective leadership.They have reinforced my understanding that growth does not come from perfection; it comes from sustained reflection paired with accountability. These practices continue to shape my approach to leadership learning today.
As I reflect on my leadership journey, I recognize that growth is rarely a linear process. Some moments require starting fires, pushing growth, change, and momentum, and others call for slowing down to repair, listen, and stabilize. I have been intentional about equipping globally aware students, meeting them where they are, and building inclusive spaces rooted in literacy and joy. My continued work at Penn GSE allows me to deepen the foundation I gained through gcLi, explore new questions emerging from practice, and continue refining the kind of leader I am becoming.
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Jason McCleod teaches middle school Humanities and is the head football coach at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, FL, his high school alma mater. McCleod earned All-Ivy League honors as a defensive back for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers, sang in an a cappella group, and graduated with a degree in political science and a minor in music. He also holds a Master’s in communications from Sacred Heart University. Jason graduated from the gcLi Leadership Lab in June 2024 and is a recipient of the gcLi Leadership Grant. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.