🎧 Leadership Rules with Dr. Heather Handler
Title: Stop Asking Kids What They Want to Be

What if we've been asking students the wrong question all along?

Instead of asking, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", Dr. Heather Handler believes we should be asking something much more powerful:

"What do you enjoy doing?"

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, youth apprenticeship pioneer, and author Dr. Heather Handler to discuss career readiness, work-based learning, and why modern Career and Technical Education (CTE) looks nothing like many people remember.

Heather shares lessons from launching one of Maryland's most successful youth apprenticeship programs and explains why exposing students to real opportunities early can change the trajectory of their lives.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why modern CTE is not the vocational education of the past
• How youth apprenticeships help students build confidence, purpose, and career direction
• Why college and career readiness should work together, not compete
• How AI is changing the future of work and increasing demand for skilled trades
• Why exposure to careers should begin long before high school
• The importance of helping students discover their strengths, interests, and preferred ways of working

Heather also shares insights from her new book, The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships, a practical roadmap for educators looking to create meaningful work-based learning experiences for students.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or helping young people discover who they are becoming, this episode is for you.

📘 Learn More

The Educator's Guide to Youth Apprenticeships
Available on Amazon

💼 Connect with Dr. Heather Handler on LinkedIn

🎧 Leadership Rules with Kristy Volesky
Title: Finish Doesn’t Equal Ready

What if school was designed less around compliance… and more around real life?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with educator, consultant, and CTE Reimagined co author Kristy Volesky to explore what it really means to prepare students for the future.

Kristy challenges many of the assumptions schools still operate under, including the idea that students should spend years “practicing” without ever doing meaningful work that connects to the real world.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why “finish” does not equal “ready”
• How schools can connect learning to real opportunities and real community impact
• Why durable skills cannot be taught once and checked off a list
• The danger of locking students into career paths too early
• How communities and schools can work together instead of operating in silos
• Why students crave meaningful experiences, not pretend projects

Kristy also shares practical examples of how schools can rethink partnerships, create authentic learning experiences, and help students build the confidence and adaptability they will need in a rapidly changing world.

If you care about leadership, education, workforce development, or preparing young people for what comes next, this conversation will challenge how you think about learning.

📍 Learn more and connect with Kristy Volesky
🌐 https://valeskyconsulting.com
💼 LinkedIn → Kristy Volesky
📘 CTE Reimagined available online

Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, learning, and building a future where people are truly ready for what’s next.

#LeadershipRules #KristyVolesky #CTEReimagined #EducationLeadership #CareerReadiness #FutureOfEducation #DurableSkills

🎧 Leadership Rules with Jeff Utecht
Title: AI Can Predict. Humans Must Decide.

AI is moving fast. But are we moving thoughtfully?

In this episode of Leadership Rules, Nick and Marnie sit down with Jeff Utecht, educator, speaker, and author of Human Still Required, to explore what leadership looks like in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.

Jeff brings a powerful reminder: the real risk is not that AI replaces us. It’s that we stop thinking for ourselves.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why “cognitive surrender” is a growing concern in the age of AI
• The difference between prediction and true understanding
• Why judgment is the one skill AI cannot replace
• How leaders should rethink effort, productivity, and performance
• What it means to lead through a double transition in the workplace

Jeff also shares why listening may be the most underrated leadership skill right now—and how staying curious is the key to navigating rapid change.

If you care about leadership, education, or staying human in a tech-driven world, this episode will challenge how you think about both AI and your role in it.

📍 Learn more and connect with Jeff Utecht
Website → https://jeffutecht.com

Book → https://humanstillrequired.com

Podcast → Shifting Schools

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, learning, and what it takes to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

#LeadershipRules #JeffUtecht #HumanStillRequired #AILeadership #FutureOfWork #CriticalThinking #StayHuman