Lifted to Lead: A Framework for Leaders Who Put Others First - Dr. Stefan Bean

Today our guest is Dr. Stefan Bean, Orange County's 12th Superintendent of Schools and author of Lifted to Lead. Dr. Bean shares the LIFTED framework, a practical leadership model built around the idea that a leader's job is not to be first up the ladder but to hold it steady so others can climb. He also explains why listening is the foundation everything else in the framework depends on, and how leaders at every level can build real systems for gathering input from the people most affected by the decisions being made. In this conversation, Dr. Bean offers important reminders for educators and leaders: Every person in an organization has a strength worth cultivating. A leader's job is to find it, name it, and put people in a position to use it. Listening is a skill, not a given. Building purposeful structures for it, cadenced meetings, skilled facilitation, shared norms, and dyad conversations, is what makes it real rather than aspirational. Leadership is not about self-fulfillment. When leaders orient themselves toward lifting others, the entire organization rises with them. Learn More About CharacterStrong:  Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Request a Quote Today! Visit the CharacterStrong Website Sign up for the CharacterStrong Weekly   About Dr. Stefan Bean Dr. Stefan Bean serves as Orange County superintendent of schools, guiding regional efforts to ensure every learner has the knowledge, skills and opportunities to thrive. With nearly 30 years in education, he is known for building genuine connections and leading with heart. As county superintendent, Dr. Bean leads the Orange County Department of Education, which provides direct instruction to the county's most vulnerable students and critical support to 28 local school districts and more than 40 charter schools serving hundreds of thousands of learners. Under his leadership, OCDE's work is anchored in the 5-3-1 Strategic Plan, emphasizing student success, service excellence and shared leadership. Dr. Bean was unanimously appointed as Orange County's 12th Superintendent of Schools in June 2024 and was elected by Orange County voters in June 2026 to a full four-year term. Before joining OCDE, Dr. Bean served as superintendent for Aspire Public Schools in Los Angeles, where he oversaw 11 TK-12 campuses after advancing from principal to superintendent during nearly 12 years with the organization. He subsequently served as executive director of the Irvine International Academy.