The day my InstaPot arrived, I (Bonni) decided to use it as an example in a video I was creating for our faculty. We were rolling out a new video service called Studio within our Learning Management System (LMS) and I thought it would make a nice illustration. Those internet videos of people opening up packages of things they have purchased are quite popular, I recalled. Why not tie in the unboxing of the InstaPot with the unveiling of Studio.

It didn’t go well from the beginning.

I started recording, hoping to live up to my reputation for being a one-take-wonder. Editing video or audio is one of my least favorite tasks, so the less of it, the better, as far as I’m concerned.

The screen indicated that my recording had started and I was ready for action. “My InstaPot is here,” I shared, as I reached over to pick up the large box to set it on my lap. “Ugh,” I exclaimed. I hadn’t realized just how heavy that box was. My kind husband, Dave, had brought the package upstairs and had set it on my side desk to help me prepare. Already this wasn’t going as planned.

That is the way it is with leadership. We have our plans for the way we think things will go and then the unexpected enters in. Change comes whether we are ready for it, or not. Even if we are prepared and can anticipate what’s on the way, the people we lead are most often not in lockstep with one another in celebrating the coming transition.

Instead of dreading this aspect of leadership, most of the time, those of us who wrote this book revel in it. The challenge of trying to determine how to cast a vision for change and to navigate the unexpected excites us, as we embrace the complexity of getting from point A to point B. Whether we are facilitating learning for others or implementing the latest new system in our organizations, we treasure the opportunities we are given to help us all move along and do better for those we serve.

This book has been written by educational leaders in differing contexts and who work to serve a myriad of stakeholders. We are teachers, professors, principals, managers, specialists, and researchers. Our cohort is the eleventh to make the journey through the doctorate of the educational leadership program at Concordia University in Irvine, California. We bring into this program our prior leadership challenges and opportunities, along with a love for the InstaPot (or, at least, having a loved one with a passion for it).

We are a diverse group in every dimension of that word.  Without the contributions from the leadership lens of Mandy Bell, Joan Jiazhen Chen, Teresa Flynn-Everett, Felicia Golden, Silvia Lopez, Tessa Samuelsen, Robert Scott, Bonni Stachowiak, Annette Stelter and, Anna White this book would not be enjoyed today.

Concordia University is a Christian university, though our program does not have a religious requirement to pursue a doctoral degree in the program. A few of us include mentions of how we developed spiritually in our leadership pursuits since that has been powerful for us, as individuals. We also mention ways in which we have found encouragement in our faith tradition’s scriptures, though it is not the centerpiece of what we have to share about leadership. We welcome you into this reading, regardless of your perspectives on such things. This is not a book about religious beliefs. Instead, it is a collection of stories having to do with how we have all made the journey to be better leaders in our classrooms and elsewhere.

We are writing this book as part of a class we are taking in our doctorate program. The class is called Technology in a Systems Approach to Leadership.

This is the fifth time that one of these Concordia University doctoral cohorts has taken on such an endeavor. Nourishing Leadership was written during the eight-week duration of our class. It wasn’t an easy accomplishment, though we feel quite fortunate to have had such an amazing cohort of individuals to collaborate with on this project. If you would like to learn more about how this and the other books were written, visit the Teaching in Higher Ed (https://teachinginhighered.com) and search for open textbooks. There are Teaching in Higher Ed podcast episodes on the topic, along with some blog posts to explore.

The unexpected weight of the InstaPot wasn’t my only surprise in becoming a new owner of one. There was a whole new language and set of skills to learn in being able to operate it. The pressure, which is what is required to cook the food inside, took way longer to build up than I ever anticipated. Fortunately, there was an entire community of people on the internet ready to introduce me with what had worked for them in preparing delicious food with the InstaPot, as well as revealing the mishaps they had experienced in the hopes that the rest of us may be able to avoid them.

We hope to be a sort of community for you, as you seek to improve your capacity as a leader. While we may be geographically far from you as you read these words, we feel close at heart to the challenges you may be experiencing. Be encouraged. We have likely been in a similar situation as you and have some words of wisdom to share in the coming pages.

Each chapter contains an essay that reflects a way in which we have learned to become a more nourishing leader to those who we serve. These are the stories of places where we have had the kind of impact we wanted to – along with the powerful lessons we learned from our failures.

Here is a sneak peek at each of the essays included in Nourishing Leadership:

1. 1. Pressure Cooker, Tips for Leaders Under Pressure-  Being a leader provides a continual hot seat.  Leaders must be on the go, ready with solutions at all times.  Tessa Samuelsen, San Clemente Christian School Principal, shares some quick tips on how to handle the pressure.
   2. Sear and Slow Cook, Acting with Grace Under Fire- Anna White, Special Education Director in Los Angles Public Schools, shares insight about ways to calm parents as they try to understand the importance of an Individual Education Plan.  Her expertise guides readers through truth and support during difficult conversations.
   3. Serving it Up, Navigating- Dr. Bonni Stachowiak, adjunct professor at Concordia University Irvine and dean of teaching and learning at Vanguard University of Southern California, discusses the seasons of change and how to grow through transitions. She encourages readers to emerge into the new beginning, taking advantage of a renewed sense of vision and purpose.
   4. Try a New Recipe, Tackling Change– You have heard it said before, but not like Teresa Fylnn-Everett, Principal in the Perris Elementary School District. She shares how to be the best you.  Being a leader is not easy and she provides tips and advice on how to lead with passion and fun.
   5. Using the Manual, Being Mentor and Mentee– Annette Stelter, Professor at West Coast University, shares with readers the importance of being a mentee, as well as, a mentor.  Leadership is not easy and learning from others is essential for success.
   6. Set for Service, Chicken Soup for the Dynamic Servant Leader- Join Joan Jiazhen Chen, full-time Doctoral student, and researcher, as she explores the best of Servant Leadership.  She gives you five easy steps to leading your team by setting a servant’s example.
   7. Air Crisper, Creating the Right Conditions– Amanda Bell, Principal at Oceanside Elementary, offers advice in creating the perfect environment for teachers and staff.  She knows and understands the importance of individual support and safety in the workplace.
   8. Adjusting the Temperature, How to De-escalate Conflict- Silvia Lopez, itinerant administrator overseeing special education at the Los Angeles Unified School District, is a dynamic leader with a heart for helping.  She shares important tips for cultivating good relationships as a leader.
   9. Rice Cooker, Foundational Leaders- Robert Scott an eccentric high school science teacher and first-year doctoral student at Concordia University Irvine, brings to readers a foundational look at leadership from the bottom up. He discusses the power or “Yes” and the importance of building a good team.
   10. The Best Stew, Using Collaboration in the Workplace– Collaboration in the workplace is the best recipe for success.  Join Felicia Golden, Biotechnology, Health and Life Science educator at Mulholland Middle School STEAM Robotics Magnet, as she discusses the perfect setting for collaboration and the power of great minds working together for a common purpose.
   11. Button Pusher, The Importance of a Delta Team- Author Annette Stelter shares with us the importance of surrounding yourself with a team of people that bring different skills to the table.  This is a team you trust, admire and look to for both wisdom and strength.
   12. Keep Your Lid On, Leadership 101- Author Teresa Fylnn-Everett shares the basics of good leadership. She discusses the importance of staying focused on your mission, keeping your cool and celebrating successes.  She understands and shares how to use a team to cultivate a culture of success and understanding.
   13. Warming Pot, Warming-up to Servant Leadership- It is not easy to be a servant leader and to understand the importance of leading by example. Author Tessa Samuelsen discusses how to balancing servant leadership and being boots on the ground all the time, starts with serving your staff.
   14. Healthy Leadership, Training for Employee Safety- Author Felicia Golden shares the power of the health pyramid.  She discusses the importance of laying ground rules and providing specific training.
   15. Future Recipes, Modeling the Way- Annette Stelter walks readers through leading the next generation as she shares how to demonstrate leadership in the classroom. Annette shares tips on practical leadership application that can be applied immediately.
   16. The Perfect Recipe, Building the Perfect Team- Tessa Samuelsen breaks down how to create the perfect team.  She discusses the importance of combining skills that are unique and varied, allowing for the most opportunity for creative problem-solving.

At the end of our essays, we include a leadership recipe to help you focus on putting the ideas we have shared into practice. These are the kinds of recipes we hope will encourage you to experiment with applying them in your contexts. That means experimenting with the ingredients a bit and finding new ways in which to serve something sustaining to those who you lead.

Finally, as we conclude each chapter, there is a recipe you can try out if you happen to be an InstaPot owner. While this is not intended in the slightest to take the place of a good InstaPot recipe book, or a collection of them on Pinterest – we do hope these little additions will be enjoyable to the InstaPot cooks among us.

If you are a new leader, you may find yourself faced with some unexpected heaviness as you make your way. May the stories throughout this book encourage you and provide you with approaches to take in growing as a leader. We often find ourselves experiencing new challenges in our roles and are grateful for those who can provide us with insight into how to keep us becoming more effective at what we do.

Yes, the InstaPot was way heavier than I first predicted. However, the video wound up turning out great. People like to see us experiencing the kinds of challenges that they might in a similar situation and to get to witness our reactions to those things. Most of us aren’t in positions where we can press the re-record button in our roles, but we are asked to keep the camera rolling and to learn as we go.

Just like Bonni writes, leadership is often about changing and adapting to new experiences, circumstances, and situations. As a leader, I (Tessa) find it impossible to be prepared for everything, but just like the InstaPot, leaders must be capable of meeting needs and offering variety. As students of Cohort 11 met one Saturday morning for an on-campus class we started with casual conversation. We caught up on family, school, and work. During this time we also shared diets, meals, and recipes.

The InstaPot soon became the focus of our discussion, and one thing rang very clear, the InstaPot was capable of cooking many different types of meals in many different ways. We talked about the variety of meals, efficiency of mealtime and how this one kitchen appliance should be a staple in every household. In this discussion, I could hear the similarities of this kitchen appliance and the art of leadership.

Whether aspiring or seasoned, leaders need to be flexible in both thinking and add creativity in planning. They too need to provide variety and efficiency. This may look like solving a discipline problem on the spot or creating a mentoring plan for new employees. Leaders wear many hats, balance many plates and have to fill many roles for many people. The point is leaders have to be prepared to think on the spot and make quick decisions. This sweet little book was written to help you be more prepared, more creative and more capable of leading, as well as, cook some pretty tasty meals in the InstaPot.

May this book be a good companion to you as you serve up a feast of nourishing leadership in your organization.