Fourteen summers.

That’s how many seasons I spent in Alaska managing hotels, lodges, and tour companies — building new teams from scratch every May and saying goodbye every September.

It was chaotic, exhausting, and somehow, I loved it.

Then the world shut down.

So I left Alaska, moved to Taiwan, and became a teacher. Over the next few years, I taught everything from pre-K to high school freshmen. It was the most challenging job I’ve ever had — and the most transformative.

Teaching didn’t just change how I saw kids. It changed how I saw people.

In the classroom, success came from structure, clarity, repetition, and the occasional extended recess. From giving students autonomy and celebrating growth over perfection. From knowing when to lead — and when to step back.

When I returned to management in Alaska after a six-year break, I applied what I’d learned from elementary education to leadership.

First, I ran orientation like a classroom:

• Breakout groups instead of slideshows
• Common agreements instead of rules
• Kahoot! instead of boring lectures
• A property tour turned into a photo scavenger hunt — also a great way to find out who’s secretly funny

By the end of the first week, our team was communicating, laughing, and solving problems on its own. Not because I gave orders, but because they felt ownership — the same magic that happens in a good classroom.

Once we opened, guest service scores skyrocketed — up 56 points from the prior May. We went from the lowest-rated Princess lodge to second.

Here’s what I realized: leadership and teaching are the same craft. Running a hotel in Alaska is a lot like teaching fourth grade — except the tourists throw way worse tantrums. Both are about creating environments where people learn, grow, and take pride in what they do.

Looking back, I realize I’d been leading my Alaskan teams like an elementary teacher all along — focusing on growth, celebrating effort, and occasionally wearing a banana suit to keep adults from acting too serious.

Assignment

Leadership is better when we learn from each other. Share your thoughts, tips, or funny stories in the comments — let’s build a little Elementary Leadership community right here.