How Do You Build a Team That Builds, Instead of Building It All Yourself? | Kelly Coffin

In this episode of the Getting Smart Podcast, host Rebecca Midles talks with Kelly Coffin, superintendent in Farmington Hills, Michigan, about what it really means to "go slow to go fast" in district transformation. Coffin shares how leaders can build trust and capacity through co-design with educators closest to students, stay connected through daily visibility and listening routines, and "test the system" for readiness without defaulting to top-down control. The conversation centers on authentic leadership—grounded in clarity of vision, coherence, and the courage to be vulnerable in public—so teams don't just implement change, they own it.

Outline

• (00:00) Introduction
• (04:08) Leadership Evolution
• (08:35) Daily Leadership in Action
• (15:15) Building Trust and Capacity
• (17:18) Advice for New Leaders
• (28:26) The Bravest Leadership

Links

• Watch the full video here
• Read the full blog here
• LinkedIn
• Farmington Public Schools