Punch the Shark: Rethinking Burnout, Retention, and Real Leadership

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Punch the Shark: Rethinking Burnout, Retention, and Real Leadership

PETA: No sharks were harmed in this RUCKUScast episode

Danny Bauer

Jun 21, 2025

👋 Welcome to a 🔓 free edition 🔓 of Ruckus Makers — the newsletter for bold school leaders who Do School Different. Each week we drop fresh content across our signature styles:

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The Ruckus Report

Quick take:

When Nate was hired to “cheer up” a grumpy, near-strike staff, he shut his laptop and walked straight into the storm — asking teachers directly, “What’s your problem?” The result? A viral leadership moment and the birth of “Punch the Shark,” a metaphor for leading through discomfort — not away from it.

Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker

Nate Eklund is the founder of Vital Network, a former high school English teacher, and an expert on workplace culture in schools. He helps districts move beyond recruitment band-aids by focusing on what really matters: retaining great educators through systemic change and honest collaboration.

Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨

Key Insight #1: Punching the shark = facing the hard stuff head-on

What’s broken: Keynotes that pretend morale is a vibes problem
The shift: Leaders hand the mic to their people and engage with the discomfort
Impact: “Punch the Shark” became a district-wide rallying cry used in union negotiations

Key Insight #2: Burnout isn’t a kale problem — it’s a system design problem

What’s broken: Treating burnout as a personal failure
The shift: View burnout as a design issue — fix the system, not just the individual
Impact: Districts rethink PD, leadership practices, and how decisions get made

Key Insight #3: Retention isn’t a mystery — it’s measurable

What’s broken: Assuming you need more recruitment when the bucket is leaking
The shift: Use data + design frameworks (like TeachMeasureID8) to improve the experience of working in schools
Impact: Schools stop losing great teachers and start creating campuses worth staying at

Quotable Ruckus

"You can't kale your way out of your fifth reading curriculum in two years." – Nate Eklund

Your Do School Different Challenge

Ready to implement these ideas? Start here:

Tomorrow: Ask your staff, “What’s getting in the way of your joy at work?”
This Month: Redesign your next faculty meeting — make it useful, not perfunctory
This Semester: Evaluate your retention practices. Are you creating the conditions for thriving — or just asking people to endure?

Connect & Continue

🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Coming soon
🔗 Follow Nate Eklund:

https://vitalnetwork.com

📌 Ruckus Makers Don’t Just Listen — They Act

If education ain’t a bit disruptive, then what are your students really learning?

This show isn’t about doing school better.

It’s about Doing School Different — and joining a growing movement of bold, creative school leaders who reject legacy models and reimagine what’s possible.