Curiosity #36 - Lead from where you are

🎤 Quotable Quote

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists… When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”
— Lao Tzu

This week on Leadership Rules, we sat down with educator-turned-edtech leader Scott Nunes, whose approach to leadership blends humility, heart, and a whole lot of hands-on wisdom—from the classroom to the C-suite.

Scott challenges the traditional image of the loud, directive leader and instead models what it means to lead with intention, influence, and service.

🔍 This Week’s Deep Dive: Scott’s Take on Authentic Leadership

💡 Leadership as a Daily Practice
Scott reminded us that leadership isn’t a job title—it’s a behavior. From negotiating with your kids over Monopoly to guiding high-performing teams, influence starts with how you show up.

💡 Influence > Authority
Whether you're a CEO or a teacher, Scott emphasizes that great leadership doesn’t demand control—it earns trust. Silence, listening, and well-placed encouragement can sometimes lead louder than a bullhorn.

💡 Serve First, Lead Always
Scott draws from Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last and Marcus Aurelius’ stoic mindset to make the case for servant leadership: be the one who goes on the hunt, brings value back, and lifts others up first.

💡 Tech as a Multiplier, Not a Replacement
He also shares how to use AI and technology to scale your impact without sacrificing the human connection. (Spoiler: It's all about "bilocation"—you’ll want to hear this part.)

One of the most striking insights?
The idea that your absence as a leader should still empower others to lead in your place.
That’s not delegation. That’s deputizing—and it’s the next-level skill Scott believes every leader should master.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here.

Know someone navigating leadership without a title? Forward this along.
Because sometimes the best leaders aren’t the ones speaking the loudest—
They’re the ones building leaders behind the scenes.

More Musings

🍪 Biscuits with the Boss:

What’s something you believed about leadership 10 years ago that makes you cringe now?

Ohhh yeah. This one’s got big “Ted reading his old coaching journals” energy.

Because let’s be honest - most of us have a greatest hits list of leadership myths we used to swear by. Maybe you thought real leaders never showed vulnerability. Or that being “in charge” meant always having the answers. (Sorry, old you—Coach Beard would like a word.)

The beauty of this question? It doesn’t just invite reflection—it gives permission to evolve.

So when someone answers this one, don’t just nod. Cheer for it. Because realizing your old belief was a bad play? That’s not a fumble. That’s film review.

And every great team watches the tape.

🏅 Whistle. Whistle.

Alright, leaders. Time to stretch.

The best leaders don’t need to be loud.
They just need to build trust loud enough to be heard when it counts.

Now go take a lap. Then go tell someone on your team they’ve got the mic.

📚Beard’s collection: 

📖 Tenney, Matt. Inspire Greatness: How to Motivate Employees with a Simple, Repeatable, Scalable Process. Simple Truths, 2023.
If “servant leadership” ever felt too abstract, this book makes it stunningly practical. Tenney breaks down how to unlock greatness in others without needing a fancy title, a TED Talk, or a whiteboard full of KPIs. It's a masterclass in doing the small things well, consistently. Think of it as Ted Lasso with a checklist—motivating the team not with speeches, but with belief, repetition, and human-first habits. Scott Nunes would be nodding the whole time.

📖 Rock, David. Quiet Leadership: Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work. HarperBusiness, 2006.
For the leaders who are learning that sometimes the best move is shutting up and listening—this book’s for you. It’s not soft. It’s smart. Rock teaches you how to ask better questions, create space, and literally help people think better. Imagine Coach Beard silently tilting his head… and somehow getting you to find the answer yourself.

📖 Burg, Bob, and John David Mann. The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea. Portfolio, 2007.
This one’s a love letter to servant leadership disguised as a business parable. Scott Nunes lives this idea: give value first, and trust that success will follow. If you've ever wondered whether leading with heart has a place in high-performing teams, this book says: absolutely, yes. It's basically Ted giving Sam a book… that changes everything. (and yes, we have shared this one before, but honestly, if you didn't read it last time, here's your sign)

🌎 This week in Here - There - Every F’ing where 

We love a good podcast - smells like potential :) Alex was a great host on this episode of his Inner Wonder podcast.

Barbecue Sauce!

Marnie & Nick

P.S. Thanks for your feedback last week about creating an audio book version. We are doing it!!!

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