A Catalyst for Culture Shift and Leadership Growth
excerpt: Kendale Lumpkins didn’t just speak at Perry Central—he sparked a transformation. Discover how his work challenged mindsets, inspired leaders, and ignited self-efficacy in an entire school community.
2025-06-13 — Principal Yeager
Leadership, School Culture, Professional Development
-Kendale Lumpkins, School Turnaround, Self-Efficacy, Motivational Speaker, Teacher Growth, Student Mindset
“I’m just working to leave this world better than I found it.” – Kendale Lumpkins
When I served as principal of Perry Central High School, I knew we needed more than professional development. We needed a breakthrough. That moment came when we partnered with Kendale Lumpkins—not just a keynote speaker, but a transformational force.
His time with us wasn’t a visit—it was a shift. And the effects weren’t temporary—they were cultural.
🔄 The Mindshift That Changed Everything
Kendale’s greatest gift wasn’t hype. It was hope wrapped in truth. He helped our entire school community confront the quiet assumptions that had shaped our mindset:
- They can’t.
- They won’t.
- They don’t.
But after Kendale, those assumptions were dismantled—and replaced by belief:
- They can.
- They will.
- They did.
That mindset change wasn’t just felt—it was seen. Teachers leaned in differently. Students stood taller. Leaders, including myself, began running different.
🔑 Leadership Reimagined
Kendale helped reframe what leadership should be: not about control, but about capacity-building. Not about compliance, but conviction.
He reminded us:
- Great leaders don’t micromanage—they empower.
- Growth doesn’t happen by accident—it requires alignment, urgency, and belief.
- Teachers aren’t just teachers—they are practitioners of transformation.
👩🏫 Teachers Stepped Up
After Kendale’s sessions, teachers didn’t just teach—they took ownership. They began seeing their work as mission-driven, not just task-driven. Professional development turned into professional awakening. The culture began to shift from, “What’s required?” to “What’s possible?”
🎓 Students Believed Bigger
Our students—many of whom had never seen themselves as more than statistics—began to dream with definition. Kendale made belief tangible. He didn’t sugarcoat reality—he handed them the tools to change it.
They began to say:
- “I matter.”
- “I have purpose.”
- “I’m capable.”
📢 Why Kendale Needs to Be in Your School
If you’re looking to inspire your faculty, ignite your student body, and build a leadership culture that outlasts any single session—Kendale Lumpkins is the one to call.
He doesn’t just speak.
He plants seeds.
And what he planted in Perry Central? It still grows.
Kendale Lumpkins QR Code
Principal Yeager
Lead Principal, Partnership Middle School
Founder, School Leaders Think Tank
Author of Leading Where Others Don’t Look
“Culture doesn’t shift because we say so—it shifts because we believe so. Kendale helped us believe again.”
School Leaders' Think Tank 
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