Although every coaching conversation is personalized and every context is unique, many school leaders face similar issues. In , Alyssa Gallagher and Rosie Connor—directors of global educational leadership nonprofit BTS Spark—synthesize the experience gained from coaching more than 20,000 school leaders around the world and highlight the universal challenges. Here, the authors unpack the key traits and mindsets of the MESSY leadership model, which embraces the human side of school leadership and provides practical strategies and tools that strengthen leadership capabilities. Coaching conversations that encourage leaders to adopt these specific mindsets will make it easier for them to lead in a complex world: • Create a shared vision and engage others by collaborating more effectively. Build deeper, more trusting relationships to give feedback and hold difficult conversations. Think creatively and tackle entrenched school improvement problems through experimentation and innovation. Be proactive, gain control of how you prioritize your time, and embrace new ways of working. Build confidence by identifying the barriers that hold you back and learning how to overcome them. Intentional coaching conversations tap into the potential power of school leaders and develop them to their fullest. Let structure those conversations and create school leaders that matter.