Fill the Gap with Trust with Darren Melton – PMP521

A Quick Note to Listeners:

Before this week’s interview Jen Schwanke and I take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is:

I’m a Secondary leader now tasked with coaching and supporting Elementary leaders. What advice do you have for me when I’m sometimes out of my comfort zone with their unique challenges?

Listen in to hear our response!

Meet Darren Melton:

This week on Principal Matters Podcast, I sit down for a conversation with Darren Melton. Darren serves as Head of School at Lincoln Christian School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he has led since 2023. A veteran educator, coach, and administrator with more than 30 years of experience, Darren is known for his relational leadership style, commitment to Christ-centered education, and practical wisdom in building healthy school culture.

Prior to returning to Lincoln Christian, he served as Executive Director of Athletics for Broken Arrow Public Schools. Earlier in his career, he spent 17 years at Lincoln Christian as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, leading the football program to a 142–38 record.

Darren has also coached at Jenks Public Schools and Owasso Public Schools and has served on the board of directors for the OSSAA. He is passionate about leadership development, strong parent partnerships, and creating school environments built on trust, accountability, and care for students.

Hiring People Who Truly Care About Kids:

We begin by discussing one of Darren’s core beliefs about hiring and team development: “We don’t hire people who take things out on children.” Darren explains how difficult it can be to evaluate emotional maturity and relational health during the hiring process, but emphasizes the importance of surrounding students with people who genuinely love kids and want to build relationships with them. He reflects on the joy of seeing former students become strong leaders, parents, and educators themselves—and why character matters just as much as competency in school leadership.

Filling the Gap with Trust, Not Suspicion:

One of the central themes of the episode comes from a phrase Darren often uses: “Fill the gap with trust, not suspicion.” Darren shares how leadership teams can easily fall into unhealthy assumptions when communication is incomplete, but healthy organizations choose trust first. He explains how strong leadership cultures are built when teams feel safe enough to disagree, wrestle with hard conversations, and still walk away united aroun