“Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You”: Michelle Newlands on Leading with Courage, Connection, and Care

From shy student to system leader, the WRDSB Superintendent shares how vulnerability, equity, and hard work shape her leadership journey.

Michelle Newlands may have been a quiet kid in school, but there’s nothing quiet about her leadership today. Now serving as the Superintendent of Student Achievement and Well-Being at Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB), Michelle brings a rare blend of humility, courage, and strategic insight to her role supporting 23 schools and mentoring the next generation of education leaders.

Her story is proof that you don’t need to be the loudest in the room to make the biggest impact.

“I was so shy,” Michelle recalled on The LearnIt Podcast. “Even when I knew the right answer, I wouldn’t put up my hand. But someone once said to me, ‘We’ve got your back.’ That changed everything. I realized people want you to succeed.”

From Teacher to Top 40 Principal to Superintendent

Michelle’s career began with a simple plan: teach for a couple of years, then go back to school and become a psychologist. But once she stepped into a classroom, she never looked back. “I fell in love with teaching, with students, and with learning,” she said.

That passion carried her into leadership quickly. As a principal in Halton, she launched a summer learning “camp” that integrated Indigenous teachings, outdoor education, and literacy in creative, student-led ways. The innovative program became a cornerstone of her leadership style - experimental, community-driven, and rooted in relationships.

Her impact didn’t go unnoticed. In 2016, Michelle was named one of Canada’s Outstanding Principals by The Learning Partnership, a distinction awarded to only a select few each year.

“I ran my school like a private business,” she explained. “I invested in students, and I invested in the teachers who serve them. I wanted families to feel welcome, especially if they had negative experiences with school in the past.”

Leading Leaders: Mentorship and Vulnerability

As Superintendent, Michelle now leads by supporting others to lead well. That means helping principals identify their strengths, build community, and reflect openly. “You can’t assume people have all the skills they need. You have to help grow leaders,” she said.

When asked how she approaches leaders who may resist feedback, her response was simple: model it. “I’ll say, ‘I didn’t do this well, what do you think?’ Vulnerability builds trust. When I show I’m learning, others feel safe to learn too.”

She regularly shares articles from Adam Grant or James Clear in her emails, using them as a “third teacher” to spark reflection. It’s part of a bigger belief: leaders are readers, and learning never stops.

Student Well-Being in a Post-Pandemic World

Michelle is clear about what’s at the heart of today’s challenges - student mental health, anxiety, and a fading sense of belonging. “We’re seeing more students who are anxious, who crave a sense of place. Diversity is there. But are we creating inclusion?”

She believes that schools must foster resilience by helping students take risks and fail safely. “Not all students play sports where you learn by losing. So in the classroom, we need to design learning that allows students to try, fail, and recover.”

This aligns with broader trends. A 2023 EdCan report found that schools focused on psychological safety, authentic relationships, and student agency see the greatest gains in both achievement and well-being.

Disrupting Systems, Dismantling Norms

Michelle’s leadership goes beyond buildings and classrooms, it’s about systemic change. She speaks openly about the need to challenge colonial structures that no longer serve students. “These systems feel normal to us because we were raised in them. But changing them requires intentionality, and courage.”

That disruption, she says, is already underway at WRDSB. The board’s mission, as she describes it, is to ensure “social location does not dictate student outcomes.” Her hope? That Waterloo continues to be a model of bold, equity-driven innovation for other boards across Ontario.

Personal Passions and Professional Wisdom

When she’s not visiting schools or mentoring leaders, Michelle can be found skating, both hockey and figure. “I love the challenge,” she said, noting she’s even considering trading in her hockey skates for figure skates to improve her twirls.

She also carves out time for reading and research. Currently completing doctoral work on diversity in schools, Michelle says if she weren’t in education, she’d probably be a full-time researcher. Or maybe even hosting a podcast of her own.

Her leadership mantra? A quote from Steve Martin: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” For Michelle, that means showing up every day with hard work, empathy, and a commitment to service.

“You don’t have to be the smartest or the most talented,” she said. “But if you work hard and bring value to your community, you’ll always be needed.”