SCH Teacher Runs Course on Cultivating Leadership

Founded and led by teacher and coach Lance Ramer, the SCH Upper School’s Cultivating Leadership course concluded its fall 2025 semester, inspiring students through a curriculum that focuses on potential and peak performance. 

The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) course moves beyond traditional theory, diving into high-level concepts such as Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development, the Seven Cs of Championship Team Building (Communication, Collaboration, Coordination, Cooperation, Commitment, Creativity, and Celebration), and the science of the flow state. By mastering techniques such as "thought replacement" and the "peak performance litany," students emerged from the semester equipped with a mental toolkit to navigate high-pressure environments with the poise of elite athletes and executives.

“For the past two years, creating and teaching Cultivating Leadership has been one of my greatest passions,” said Ramer. “There’s nothing more powerful than watching someone build real confidence — the kind that faces fear head-on. Because when you’ve built your peak performance toolbox, no challenge feels impossible.”

The power of Ramer’s course is perhaps most evident through its guest speakers and alumni. Jackson Erdos ’25, an American Ninja Warrior National Champion, and University of Massachusetts field hockey players Devin ’25 and Collen Conlan '25 spoke to students to share how mentorship helped them reframe nerves as excitement and embrace giving 100 percent in everything, which can mean making some sacrifices.

Closing out the semester, 12-time New York Times best seller Don Yaeger and former New York Knicks player Allan Houston—founder of the FISLL framework—taught students that a loss only becomes a failure when an excuse follows. Collectively, the guest speakers echoed a singular message: Leadership is not about being the most valuable player, but about becoming invaluable to the mission.

"Cultivating Leadership provides our students with the tools to work effectively in teams, navigate obstacles with grace and perseverance, and lead with purpose,” said Ed Glassman, executive director of the CEL. “It's a very valuable component of the CEL."