Brian Stephens, CEO of Caissa K12

“Advocacy is Leadership”

When Public Trust Can’t Be Assumed

This week on Community Catalysts, I’m joined by Brian Stephens—CEO of Caissa K12—for a conversation that’s officially about public education, but really about something much bigger.

It’s about advocacy.

Brian works with public school districts around the country to help them reimagine how they communicate their value to the families they serve. And his message is urgent: Public schools are no longer the default. If districts want to stay relevant, trusted, and chosen—they have to speak up.

But what struck me in this conversation is how much that same principle applies to every facet of public service.

Whether you lead in local government, nonprofit work, or community-based initiatives, we can’t assume that people understand what we do—or why it matters. We have to show up, not just in service delivery, but in the stories we tell.

We talked about the emotional intensity of education, about shifting from a compliance mindset to one of connection, and about how leaders can reclaim the narrative around their work.

Brian doesn’t pull punches—and his insight is grounded in real experience, from political strategy to psychology to hands-on support for district leaders navigating today’s landscape of change, choice, and challenge.

This is one of those episodes that speaks to anyone trying to lead in the public interest, especially in an era where assumptions about trust, loyalty, and default support no longer hold.

If you care about public leadership, this conversation will resonate—whether or not you’ve ever set foot in a school board meeting.

Listen now.

And when you do, ask yourself: Who needs to hear your story—and what’s keeping you from telling it?