Little Wins Workshop 2026 | The Power of Connected School Leadership

School leadership starts with how you show up for your staff. In this session, Mitch Holmgren shares what connected leadership looks like at Deer Creek Mackinaw High School, where positivity rates rose from 66% to 78% in a single year. Mitch is a high school principal in central Illinois with 33 years in education. He walks through eight practical habits that have shaped the culture inside his building. Each one is simple to start, and together they build the kind of trust that helps teachers feel seen. You'll hear the story behind why his team picked "connected" as their guiding word, what the front door welcome looks like every morning, and how a $10 thrift-store trophy turned into one of the most anticipated parts of every staff meeting. If you're looking for school leadership ideas you can put into practice next week, this conversation is for you. Mitch covers handwritten notes, staff favorite surveys, shoutouts, games, the Sunday morning newsletter, the staff-led social committee, and the small signals he watches for to know it's working. 0:00 Welcome and intro 0:48 Meet Mitch and DMAC High School 2:57 One word for your staff relationship 4:47 Why "connected" became the theme 9:18 Eight habits that build connection 9:25 1. Staff apparel as a visible sign 10:21 2. The front door welcome 13:04 3. Handwritten notes that energize 16:34 4. Staff favorites survey 17:16 5. The Top Chief traveling trophy 19:25 6. Shoutouts at every staff meeting 21:03 7. Games at every staff meeting 25:26 8. The Sunday morning newsletter 28:19 The staff-led social committee 31:18 Signs it's working 36:10 Q&A and closing About Alpaca We're on a mission to make school the happiest place to work. We help school leaders listen well and act on what they hear, with tools that fit real school life. https://www.getalpaca.com/ #SchoolLeadership #Education #SchoolCulture