CC#71: Retirement Reflections w/ Retiring Principals

In this episode of Cool Coffee, retiring principals Greg Oborny and JJ Libal, of USD 233 in Olathe, share their experiences and insights from their long careers in education. They discuss the importance of building relationships, the challenges of critical conversations, and the best advice they received throughout their journeys. The conversation emphasizes the need for visibility, integrity, and humor in leadership, while also preparing new administrators for the emotional and practical challenges they will face. Ultimately, the focus remains on the students and the impact educators can have on their lives. In this conversation, two experienced principals reflect on their careers, discussing the challenges and rewards of leadership in education. They share insights on the importance of giving, transitioning leadership, and the cherished memories that define their journeys. As they prepare for retirement, they express gratitude for their experiences and look forward to new adventures while emphasizing the human element of their roles.

See below for more on this episode, to connect with the host, and learn more about the KPA and the Cool Coffee Podcast.

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Chapters (timestamps do not account for intro music)

00:00 Introduction to the Principals' Journey 04:53 Lessons from Early Administration 12:12 The Best Advice for New Administrators 19:40 Navigating the Challenges of Leadership 25:53 The Principalship: Giving and Growing 27:00 Transitioning Leadership: Leaving a Legacy 31:57 Cherished Memories: Celebrating the Journey 37:52 Future Endeavors: Embracing Change 43:08 Reflections and Gratitude: The Human Element of Leadership

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The mission of the Kansas Principals Association, an organization committed to educational excellence and the lifelong success of all students, is to develop and support all principals through optimized learning, collaborative leadership, networking, and service.

Read more about the KPA HERE.

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FULL TRANSCRIPT (AI generated)

Rick Sola (00:01.076) All right. Hello. Welcome to Cool Coffee, another edition, a special edition. And we will, we'll just call this a Princi-pals segment because I've got two of my own Princi-pals and I've got to give credit where credit's due. I did not come up with that. That was a former principal friend of mine, Justin Howe, who I've mentioned on this show before. He had the idea of Principals and he is a former principal now in the HR world. So I try not to bring him up too often.

But anyway, so we have some principals here with Mr. JJ Libal and Mr. Greg Oborny, and I'll let them introduce themselves here in a little bit, but they are both retiring principals after long, very successful careers in the chair. And so this is going to be a podcast where some shared wisdom will be given to the millions of listeners of Cool Coffee. And we will start by just doing a quick

introduction. I'll let you introduce