In her podcast interview with Dr. Neil Gupta, Superintendent of Oakwood City Schools, Hayley Spira-Bauer explores Dr. Gupta’s relationship-driven approach to leadership, highlighting his commitment to listening, community engagement, and collaborative vision-building. Together, they discuss how meaningful, lasting change—like developing coordinated STEM initiatives or a district-wide “portrait of a learner”—comes from connecting with all stakeholders, being transparent about decision-making, and ensuring that district strategies reflect the community’s distinctive culture and needs.