By
Ecential Team
September 21, 2025
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Updated:
September 21, 2025
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5 min read
By Jaime Rechkemmer, Aim4Impact Consulting
I take a lot of notes when I listen to leaders speak. Scribbles, arrows, little phrases circled with “yes, but what does this mean for us?” in the margins. Leadership theory is interesting, but childcare directors live in the world of practice. We’re surrounded by babies with runny noses, teachers calling out at 6:30 a.m., licensing rules that shift midyear, and families with high expectations.
So when I hear sweeping leadership statements—be proactive, set clear goals, build culture—I find myself translating them into tactics that actually work for women leading childcare businesses. This article is my attempt to do just that: to put big ideas on the ground where you walk every day.
If your checklist is full and your inbox is empty, you may feel productive. But the real question is: are your actions producing outcomes that matter? Hanging a playground schedule on a door is an activity. Teachers consistently using safe transitions – that’s an outcome.
Try this shift: Before approving any task, ask: Does this action drive learning, satisfaction, or growth? If the answer is no, stop rewarding busywork. Start celebrating outcomes.
We admire firefighters—they’re heroic and necessary in a crisis. But if we spend every day putting out flames, we never build the systems that prevent them. Proactive leadership sometimes feels uncomfortable, like you’re working yourself out of a job, but in truth you’re buying back peace of mind.
Try this shift: Commit to spending 70% of your time on proactive work: coaching, anticipating problems, building routines. Hold open office hours so staff can bring concerns before they ignite.
We sometimes mistake being “nice” for being a good leader. We soften our words, avoid discomfort, and convince ourselves we’re protecting feelings. But holding back honesty robs people of the chance to grow. Leadership needs edges: boundaries, truth-telling, and accountability delivered with care.
Try this shift: Replace vague encouragement with specific, direct feedback. Instead of “Try to be more positive” say, “During team meetings, your side conversations are distracting others. I need you to hold those until after.” It feels harder in the moment, but it builds stronger teams in the long run.
In every school, there are people who make things better just by walking into the room. They’re dependable, upbeat, and solution-focused. Those are the staff you want to protect, encourage, and keep growing.
Some staff are willing but need coaching. They can improve when feedback and expectations are paired with goals that fit their strengths. Coaching someone toward work they aren’t suited for only frustrates everyone, while aligning support with real talent is energizing.
And then there are the employees who sap energy, stir negativity, or consistently underperform. Ratios sometimes tempt us to keep them around just to have a body in the room—but let’s be honest: it’s not better.
Try these shifts:
We talk endlessly about how teachers should change—better interactions, better supervision, better lesson planning. But here’s the truth: if nothing changes in our leadership behaviors, nothing changes in the school.
Try this shift: Pick one visible behavior to change this month. Maybe it’s greeting families at drop-off. Maybe it’s closing the laptop in staff meetings. Small shifts in you create big ripples in your team. (If you need some ideas of behaviors you can change, keep reading a little bit further.)
Enrollment growth and net operating income matter to owners and investors. But those phrases don’t inspire the teacher wiping noses or the assistant director covering lunch breaks.
Try this shift: Translate business goals into teacher language. Instead of “increase enrollment by 15%,” say: “Let’s become the school families recommend first in our community.” Instead of “reduce turnover,” say: “Our goal is that every teacher feels this is the place to stay and grow.”
Telling a new or overwhelmed teacher to “manage change” means little. They need words, not just concepts.
Try this shift: Use these scripts:
Language like this builds trust and confidence in the midst of uncertainty.
Every school can say they’re safe and affordable. That’s the baseline. What do you want your school to be famous for? Maybe it’s the warmest welcome, the cleanest classrooms, or the most creative family events.
Try this shift: Pick one area of excellence and live it daily. Celebrate it in meetings, point it out when you see it, and let families experience it. Attraction always beats promotion.
Childcare leadership isn’t about piling on more tasks or sprinting from one crisis to the next. It’s about choosing to lead with purpose, setting direction with intention, and showing others how to stay steady when things get tough. As women in a field where empathy is our natural advantage, we don’t have to trade compassion for authority. We can hold both. When we turn big ideas into daily practices, we move from busy to bold—and in that shift, we give our teachers clarity, our families trust, and our children the stability they deserve, all while reclaiming for ourselves the confidence and joy of leading well.