2026 Women in Educational Leadership Conference

Thursday, March 26 Keynote Michelle McCullough
Stretch Capacity: Building Sustainable High Performance Without Snapping

Today’s school leaders juggle endless demands, competing priorities, and constant change. This inspiring workshop helps you find your stretch zone—where growth happens without tipping into overload. Discover practical, energizing strategies to sustain your focus, renew your resilience, and lead with steadiness through uncertainty. You’ll gain tools to reframe challenges, recover faster from setbacks, and build a culture where collaboration, innovation, and well-being drive high performance. Leave recharged and ready to lead with purpose, balance, and lasting impact.

Participants will be able to:

1. Recognize and Manage Stretch Capacity
   1. Identify the difference between healthy stretch (growth zone) and overload (snap zone).
   2. Apply practical strategies to sustain personal energy and avoid burnout while managing competing priorities in education leadership.
2. Strengthen Resilience for Long-Term Leadership & Performance
   1. Understand resilience as a renewable skill that can be built through intentional practices.
   2. Gain tools to reframe challenges, recover quickly from setbacks, and lead with steadiness in uncertain times.
3. Create a Culture of Team Building & Problem Solving
   1. Explore research-backed methods to cultivate collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving within school teams.
   2. Learn how to model resilience and adaptability so staff feel supported, motivated, and empowered to deliver their best work.
   3. Create a school culture where high performance is achieved without sacrificing mental health, morale, or long-term capacity.

Get to Know Michelle McCullough

Michelle McCullough blends research-backed expertise with energizing, practical strategies to help leaders tackle today’s most urgent workplace challenges—from communication breakdowns and lack of trust to employee retention struggles.

A seasoned keynote speaker, Certified Speaking Professional (CSP®), and engaging emcee, Michelle has delivered over 400 presentations for organizations like Goldman Sachs, the Air Force Reserve, and Ancestry.com. As a Future of Work researcher, she’s led national studies including the 2025 Leadership and Engagement Report and the U.S. Happiness Report, revealing the hidden behavioral influences that drive performance, engagement, and retention.

Michelle is the bestselling author of four books, including The Make It Happen Blueprint and The HappyIST and serves on the Board of Directors for Stampin’ Up! As CEO of DreamBoard Media, she leads her own team using the same leadership and emotional intelligence strategies she shares worldwide.

Featured over 250 times in outlets like Entrepreneur.com, Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates, Michelle answers the critical questions executives are asking—delivering actionable insights with her signature energy, engaging storytelling, and data-driven approach. Above all, she’s passionate about helping teams stretch, innovate, and enjoy success together.