What Abbott Elementary Gets Right (and Wrong) About Leadership

The other night, my daughter and I were watching an episode of Abbott Elementary. We were curled up on the couch, halfway through dinner, when she paused the show and said:

“Wait, you’ve worked with principals like that, haven’t you?”

She wasn’t wrong. I could list at least three principals I’ve worked with over the years who could have inspired Ava Coleman, Abbott’s loveably inept, selfie-taking, side-hustling, tone-deaf principal.

But it got us talking: Why are characters like Ava so funny to us—and so painfully accurate for people who’ve worked in schools?

That’s when it hit me: Abbott Elementary nails something that education systems don’t want to admit. Leadership—especially in education—has become more about ego and optics than about meaningful, human-centered impact.

What Abbott Elementary Reveals About Problematic Leadership

While Ava Coleman’s antics are played for laughs, her character shines a spotlight on a real issue: leadership that’s focused on themselves rather than their team.

I’ve worked mostly with white male principals, so my experience differs slightly from Ava’s character. But the tone-deafness? The grandiosity? The way they cling to side gigs while overlooking the classroom realities? Spot on.

Here’s what I’ve seen again and again:

• Performative Presence: Leaders who talk about “getting into classrooms” but only ever show up for photo ops.
• The Donut Strategy: Bringing in donuts or pizza like that’s going to magically fix morale.
• Out-of-Touch Decision Making: Punishing students harshly for minor infractions while ignoring bigger systemic issues.

We laugh at Ava because she’s a caricature. But for those of us who’ve worked under leaders like her, it’s less funny and more exhausting.

Reimagining Leadership: What Schools (and Workplaces) Need

Leadership—whether it’s in education or anywhere else—shouldn’t be about keeping up appearances. It’s about understanding the people you serve and making real, meaningful change.

Here’s what effective leadership looks like:

• Presence, Not Performances: Actually stepping into classrooms to support, not just to post photos.
• Empathy Over Ego: Listening to your team and adapting to their needs instead of clinging to rigid systems.
• Vision with Humanity: Recognizing that every decision impacts real people—students, teachers, and staff.

We don’t need leaders who treat their jobs like a TikTok hustle. We need leaders who care more about results than recognition.

Lessons in Leadership: What Ava Coleman Teaches Us

That night, as I explained all this to my daughter, I realized how deeply these experiences have shaped my views on leadership.

What we need in schools—and in most workplaces, for that matter—is less micromanagement, fewer fear tactics, and more empathy.

If Ava Coleman has taught us anything, it’s that leaders who don’t engage with their teams (and don’t take themselves seriously) are doomed to fail.

But imagine if principals like Ava—or the real-life leaders she mirrors—could take a step back and actually listen. Imagine what could happen if they prioritized understanding over optics.

Your Leadership Reflection: What Stays with You?

Have you ever had a leader who inspired or frustrated you like Ava Coleman?

What did they do—or fail to do—that stuck with you?

Let’s talk about it. Leadership is the foundation of every successful system, whether it’s a school, a business, or a family. And if we want to make things better, we have to be willing to look at who’s running the show.