The first three years in my California district were marked with transition. Three different superintendents came and went, tipping off corresponding waves of senior leadership departures. By fall 2016, things finally felt stable. I accepted the role of chief of staff for a network superintendent and deputy superintendent. My plan was to grow my leadership capabilities over the coming years. But by that winter, the district was facing a $30 million deficit and another superintendent resigned. I was abruptly moved into a much more senior role as a principal supervisor — a move that came without the level of support I needed. I went from learning systems to leading systems within the span of a one-hour conversation. My first role as a systems leader was