Episode 9- Mike Feinberg on Purpose-Driven Leadership

Work hard. Be nice. Those simple words are at the core of KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), a national network of college-prep public charter schools…

Episode 9- Mike Feinberg on Purpose-Driven Leadership

Work hard. Be nice. Those simple words are at the core of KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), a national network of college-prep public charter schools…

Work hard. Be nice. Those simple words are at the core of KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program), a national network of college-prep public charter schools in underserved communities. On this episode, co-founder Mike Feinberg shares the vision behind KIPP, how to infuse purpose into leadership, and how grit can be cultivated in kids.

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“Academics without character is hollow. Character without academics is useless. You need both.”

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Show Notes

How KIPP scaled from a local idea to a national program (5:07)
The role purpose plays in Mike’s life and at KIPP (6:30)
Learning from his failures (8:00)
How your child can attend a KIPP school (10:30)
The American dream is a parent dream (11:50)
Behind KIPP’s slogan “Work Hard. Be Nice.” (14:28)
His leadership philosophy (15:13)
What character strengths they teach their students (16:32)
True grit is when you’re faced with challenges and you persist (18:46)
Why you need both academics and character to succeed (22:44)
What life lessons you can learn on the sports field (25:31)
How we close the character gap in today’s win-it-all mindset (27:25)
Most memorable career moment so far (29:20)

Resources / People Mentioned

Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP)
Teach for America
Dave Levin, co-founder
Work Hard Be Nice by Jay Mathews
How to Raise an Adult by Julie Lythcott-Haims

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