Everything Early Childhood

You say you’re overwhelmed.

You say you’re burnt out.

You say you can’t keep going like this…



But when the opportunity comes to do something different…

You stay in the fire.



In this bold and honest solo episode, Leeza challenges one of the biggest patterns she is seeing across early childhood leadership right now, directors and owners who are stuck in reactive cycles, constantly putting out fires, even when they are given the tools to step out of them.



This episode dives into:



• Why leaders stay in reactive mode (even when they know better)

• The hidden comfort of chaos and “feeling productive”

• The difference between managing problems vs solving them

• A powerful real-life client story (Katie) and what changed everything

• Why leadership requires a different version of you



This is not a comfortable episode. But it is a necessary one.



If you’re ready to stop surviving your role and start leading forward… this one is for you.



💛 Want support to step out of the fire and into leadership? The Directors Academy mid-year intake is opening soon. Keep an eye out for more details.



🎧 Don’t forget to share this episode with another leader who needs to hear it.

Director Files 🎙

Alright… this month’s Director File had me laughing out loud when I read it.

Not because it’s funny, but because I know so many directors dealing with this right now.

A director wrote in about something she’s calling educator cancel culture.

An educator walked into the office and said:

“I refuse to work with her.”

When the director suggested they talk through the issue, the response was:

“Well maybe I should just resign then.”

Over a conversation about pack-up.

This one opens up a really interesting leadership discussion about:

• conflict in teams

• resignation threats

• the difference between discomfort and psychological safety

• and the role of a director when two adults don’t want to work together

I unpack the whole situation in today’s Director Files episode.

Directors & Approved Providers… these questions might feel familiar.

Each month inside our Everything Early Childhood community, I ask one simple question: “What leadership situation is sitting in the back of your mind right now?”

And the responses are always incredibly honest.

This month we unpack questions around:

• recruitment and second-guessing decisions

• educators doing the bare minimum

• feeling responsible for everyone’s emotions

• navigating difficult team dynamics

• the invisible weight of leadership

If you’ve ever had one of those moments where you think… “Is it just me?” This episode is for you. Because leadership in early childhood can feel heavy sometimes. But you’re not alone.

And if you want to be part of these conversations, join our Everything Early Childhood Facebook group and submit your questions for next month.

Because sometimes just talking it through changes everything.

🩷 Leeza

Early childhood leadership comes with significant responsibility, especially when laws and regulations change. In this episode, we unpack the latest updates to early childhood legislation and what they mean for leaders, educators, and approved providers.

Regulatory change can feel overwhelming, but strong leadership means staying informed, responsive, and focused on what matters most: children’s safety, wellbeing, and quality outcomes.

We explore:

- What the regulatory changes involve

- Why these updates matter for early learning services

- How leaders can support teams through compliance shifts

- Turning legal requirements into meaningful practice

Doing the right thing isn’t just about meeting compliance, it’s about leading with integrity, clarity, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

If you’re a centre director, nominated supervisor, educational leader, or early childhood professional navigating regulatory change, this episode is for you.

🎧 We Want to Do the Right Thing - Let’s Talk About the Changes

Head vs Heart: Why Leaders Struggle to Make Decisions Is there a decision sitting quietly in the background of your mind right now? In this episode, Leeza unpacks why leaders don’t actually struggle with decisions because they’re unclear, they struggle because they’re uncomfortable. Through the lens of early childhood leadership, we explore: – Cognitive dissonance (when your head and heart disagree) – Decision fatigue and executive function depletion – Loss aversion and fear of regret – Emotional avoidance and nervous system regulation – Why empathy without structure destabilises teams You’ll learn why unresolved decisions increase cognitive load, drain mental energy, and quietly impact service quality and how to categorise, regulate and move forward with steadiness. This is not about being harsher. It’s about being clearer. If you’re feeling mentally full, circling a conversation, or avoiding a boundary you know needs to be held, this episode will help you understand what’s actually happening beneath the surface. Because if you don’t structure your decisions… they will structure you.