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Chapter 23: The Coach
Jordan hovered over the link.
Her cursor circled it once, twice, then clicked.
The mastermind window blinked open. Little squares filled with faces popped up: some smiling, some scribbling, some still muted and sipping coffee. Max was already there, notebook open. He glanced up and smiled when he saw her.
“Jordan,” he said, voice calm and grounded. “You’re up today.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
There was no big problem she could name. No fire to put out. And yet… she felt something flickering inside. A doubt. A question she hadn’t been able to shake:
Am I doing the right thing?
Max pulled up a slide, simple and hand-drawn like everything he shared.
It read:
Breakthrough Blueprint
What’s your quarterly goal?
Is your team aligned?
— Do they get it?
— Do they want it?
— Can they do it?
“Let’s start with your goal,” Max said.
Jordan exhaled. “We want to build authentic student engagement. That’s the focus.”
“Are you seeing any signs of progress?”
She hesitated—but then nodded. “Maria’s thriving in the pod. Andre’s all-in with spark time. Classrooms feel different. Even parents are noticing. We got a positive post on Facebook last week that didn’t come from the district. That’s a first.”
The group chuckled.
“So the Flywheel is spinning,” Max said. “At least part of it.”
Jordan smiled, just barely.
Max leaned in. “And yet, something’s off?”
She paused.
Then, “I don’t know if it’s reaching everyone. I’m not sure my whole team gets it. Or wants it. Or can do it.”
The words hit harder than she expected.
Max nodded slowly. “Let’s look at that.”
He clicked the slide forward.
It now read:
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