Dr. Andy Szeto: Finding My Voice - How Writing Shaped My Leadership Journey

Leading and Writing

I did not begin writing with the intention of becoming an author. I began writing because it gave me a way to make meaning of leadership experiences, tell the stories behind the work, and contribute ideas to the field in a way that felt authentic to me. As a part-time educational leadership professor, I also realized that I had quite a lot to say about the topic, and writing became one of the best ways to say it.

Like many educators and school leaders, most of my professional life has been spent in action. We respond to issues as they arise. We move from meetings to classrooms to community events. We solve problems quickly because schools demand it. Writing slows that process down. It forces reflection and invites us to step back and consider what a moment actually meant.

My writing journey only began recently, after I had published a few pieces and found myself looking for more consistency and support. I wanted a place where I could reflect on my experiences, write more regularly, and grow into my voice as a thought leader.

The Tipping Point

I was eventually introduced to Walter McKenzie through LinkedIn. At the time, I knew I wanted to write more but had not yet found the right home for it. Like many practitioners, I had experiences worth sharing, but translating those experiences into writing felt like a different challenge.

Walter generously opened that door through The Worthy Educator. He created a space where I could write, reflect, and explore ideas about leadership in ways that felt authentic to my experiences. Walter is responsive, talented, and deeply supportive of the writers he works with. What mattered most was not simply publishing a piece. It was having encouragement to share ideas and trusting they might resonate with others. I am grateful that The Worthy Educator gave me that opportunity.

That encouragement made all the difference.

It allowed me to keep writing, sharpen my thinking, and step more fully into thought leadership. Not thought leadership as a slogan or personal brand, but as the practice of contributing ideas grounded in lived experience and reflection. Many educators have powerful insights from their work, but without the encouragement to share them, those voices often remain unheard.

Those early opportunities gave me room to explore leadership through stories. Leadership writing often focuses on frameworks and strategies, which are important. But I also wanted room to write about small moments, unexpected connections, and personal reflections that often reveal just as much about leadership.

Finding My Way

The Worthy Educator allowed me to tell these stories in my own way and explore leadership through lenses that might not always seem obvious at first. Through that space, I wrote about authentic leadership through the song Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters, connected Dan Rather to my experience as an English learner, and reflected on what Panera Bread taught me about the role of the school reception desk. On the surface, these topics may seem unrelated. What mattered was having the freedom to uncover the leadership lessons within them and share those insights with others.

Writing also gave me room to experiment with ideas that would later become much more central to my work.

Through that opportunity, I began developing the framework of multi-track leadership, an idea that eventually led to my first book, Leading Before the Title. I wrote an article on multi-track leadership, and that article became the outline for the book. It helped me organize the ideas, refine the language, and more clearly define the leadership story I wanted to tell.

Support Matters

The support behind that process made a difference. Editorial feedback was thoughtful and constructive, and communication was always responsive and encouraging. Even the formatting and final presentation were handled professionally and with great care. More importantly, there was a genuine sense of support behind the work. It felt collaborative. When you are new to writing publicly, that kind of environment matters. It makes it easier to take risks and share ideas that might still be forming.

Over time, the writing began to grow into something larger.

It helped me realize that the stories educators carry are worth telling. The daily experiences in schools are filled with insight about leadership, learning, community, and resilience. Writing about those experiences brings clarity and allows others to see their own work reflected in similar ways.

Looking back, writing has become an essential part of how I lead. It allows me to reflect on experiences, connect ideas across contexts, and contribute to conversations about leadership and education. Leadership is not only about action. It is also about interpretation. The meaning we draw from our experiences shapes how we grow.

Perspective and Gratitude

In my own case, that encouragement did not stop with articles, either for Worthy or other outlets. It gave me the confidence to grow my own newsletter, launch podcasts, and create videos that extend these conversations in different formats. All of that traces back, in some way, to the support I found through The Worthy Educator.

I am grateful that The Worthy Educator created the space where that process could begin. Sometimes all a writer needs is an invitation, a place to start, and encouragement to keep going.

And yes, there will be a second book, My Life in English, also by The Worthy Educator Press.

If these ideas resonate, check out my new book Leading Before the Title, available from The Worthy Educator Press, and my writing at drandyszeto.com.

Lead Forward is an exclusive feature by Dr. Andy Szeto on The Worthy Educator. Check back regularly for new insights for aspiring leaders!

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