Does a Principal's Well-Being Affect School Culture? And How Do We Fix The Thermostat? (A Proposed Study)

“I don’t know how much more I can take…”

The distressed teacher plopped herself down at my table as other concerned educators drew their attention to her disheveled demeanor.

I was leading a table talk at an educators’ conference on stress and wellness.

This “speed dating” style session was meant to connect with teachers and advisors for fifteen minutes to go deeper on the topics I had shared in my earlier workshop.

But this moment shifted everything.

What began as a season of excitement at her new school had quickly turned into frustration and emotional exhaustion.

Naturally, I assumed the usual suspects:

·       Student behavior

·       Parent involvement

·       Staff dynamics

“It’s not the kids,” she said. “The kids are great. It’s not the parents. It’s not the teachers…”

She hesitated.

“It’s the principal...”

The Question I Couldn’t Ignore

As part of my Master’s program, I recently completed a research proposal exploring the relationship between a principal’s holistic health and organizational health.

I had so many questions…

→ How much of a role does a leader’s holistic health play in the organization?

→ Do these things affect teachers’ stress, job satisfaction, and well-being?

→ What the heck does Holistic Health even mean??

Debbie Stowan defines the health of 8 separate areas:

·      Physical

·      Intellectual

·      Emotional

·      Social

·      Spiritual

·      Vocational

·      Financial

·      Environmental

Each of these things works cohesively to determine someone’s holistic health.

And while everyone’s interpretation of personal well-being is different and developing, it still plays a massive role in how leaders show up every day.

Especially for principals who manage a list of complicated issues, fighting for top priority.

·      Community outlook and involvement

·      Parental relations and communication

·      Leading a staff and oftentimes a large organization

·      Let us not forget… Make an impact on the lives of our students!

When do they find time to prioritize their spiritual health?

What time of the day does the principal hit the gym?

What strategies are they using to regulate emotions and mitigate stress?

This led me to one big question to uncover:

Does the principal’s internal condition eventually become the organization’s external culture?

The Research is UNWELL

As I began my research, I explored a multitude of studies done centered around health and wellness within K-12 Organizations.

There is no doubt…

In a post-COVID era, leaders, educators, and researchers are all searching for answers to the problems we face in our schools today:

·      High stress levels

·      Burnout

·      Lack of fulfillment

And it doesn’t require a massive body of literature to understand that these things tend to affect:

·      Morale

·      Retention

·      Organizational trust

·      Teaching effectively

Much of our current research shows:

1.     The principal’s leadership does impact teacher wellbeing and organizational culture through leadership-member exchange.

2.     Teacher burnout is largely connected to work conditions, not just individual factors.

3.     Principal stress and wellness are real and pressing issues.

But still, we have yet to fully explore whether or not the principal’s health affects the teachers, staff, and organization.

I wanted to fill the gap…

I wanted to know:

If we can improve the health of our leaders, would we see that reflected in the organization as a whole?

Thermostats, Not Thermometers

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt the emotional temperature?

Not physical temperature.

Emotional temperature.

Some rooms feel tense before a word is spoken.

Others feel calm and focused.

Leadership research calls this emotional contagion.

I call it temperature control.

Thermometers react to the environment.

Thermostats set it.

Principals and leaders hold this same power.

When they are reactive → everyone walks on eggshells.

When they are exhausted → people start to feel it.

When they are disconnected → staff starts to drift.

But when they are grounded → clarity and confidence rise.

Could it be that the leader’s nervous system becomes the organization’s climate?

And if so, there’s weight in that responsibility.

The Permission Effect

In a meeting with my mentor, I relayed to him that one of the biggest things he did for me was gave me permission to be great.

Not because he said anything.

But because he modeled what greatness looked like.

This is when I realized, as leaders, we are constantly giving permission to those we serve.

·      Not with roles

·      Not with words

·      But with our actions

If the leader is passive and uninvolved

Why the heck should we be?

But when we feel the leader is:

·      in the trenches with us

·      working alongside us

·      communicating with us

·      encouraging us

Don’t we feel compelled to bring our best?

This is exactly why we need our school leaders at their best. In mind, body, and spirit.

Because when they’re great,

They permit us to do the same.

The Wellness Answer

Whether you’re a principal, a leader, a business owner, an educator, or a parent,

We should be asking ourselves 4 questions:

1. Am I modeling what I want to see reflected in my organization?

2. Does my stress leak into those I serve?

3. Am I reactive, or am I determining the temperature?

4. When was the last time I invested in my own health and wellness?

Much like dominoes, I believe the answer to all these questions is ensuring our health is a priority.

So, let’s make it practical:

Take out your calendar and do this:

1. Decide what day/time this week you are going to prioritize your holistic health. For leaders, what doesn’t get scheduled doesn’t exist.

2. Decide exactly what you’re going to do:

·      Go for a hike

·      Take a trip out of town

·      A hot bath and a good book

·      Journal writing and meditation

Your personal health can’t feel like a chore,

It’s got to be something you look forward to.

When our health becomes just as much a priority as the important meetings, the game changes.

The Holistic Leader

During that table talk, what struck me most wasn’t the frustration.

It was desire.

Teachers don’t expect perfection.

They want consistency.

Presence.

Health.

Not just from their leaders → but for themselves.

Holistic health doesn’t mean visible abs or transcendental experiences.

It means finding sustainable practices that restore clarity, regulate emotion, and strengthen resilience.

So, here’s the question:

If someone measured the emotional climate of your organization, what would it reveal about the internal condition of its leader?

Because eventually… culture becomes a reflection.

I’m curious to hear from you school leaders and educators…Do you believe your health or the health of your leader is impacting your organization? And to what degree?

Let’s make moves,

—Chase

PS — If you enjoyed this article, send me an email, and I’ll send you my 6 Stress Management Strategies (That Don’t Include Deep Breathing!). chase@chaseinspires.com.

PSS — If you are looking to improve the health and wellness of your team and organization, let’s talk about how to make your next PD impactful and stress-free! Book a call here!