Be Engaged and Active – Building Your Leadership Network and Capacity

Thoughts from Bob Driver

On behalf of the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP), welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! As you begin this year’s journey with your staff, students, and communities, we want to thank you for being part of MASSP. Your membership not only strengthens our association but also ensures that we continue to serve as a strong voice for school leaders across Minnesota. This year, our theme is simple but powerful: be engaged and be active. In this newsletter, you’ll read about opportunities to participate more fully in MASSP. By leaning in and staying involved, you build stronger professional networks—and stronger networks lead to stronger individual leadership capacity.

We’re proud to highlight several programs designed to support leaders at different points in their careers. For first and second-year administrators, the New Administrators Launching Series provides intentional guidance, mentorship, and skill-building during these critical early years. For those serving three or more years, we encourage you to register for our Empowering Excellence Program, where you’ll dive deeper into leadership growth, problem-solving, and professional collaboration. In addition, MASSP offers a variety of affinity groups where leaders can connect with colleagues who share similar experiences and challenges, providing a space to build capacity and foster meaningful professional relationships.

As you begin this new school year, we hope you feel energized, supported, and ready to lead with purpose. Always know that MASSP is here to support your leadership needs as we walk together through the year. We wish you a successful and rewarding 2025–2026 school year!

To see more from this month’s Connections Newsletter, click below.