I’ve had the chance to hear Dr. Michael Maclin speak on a few occasions now. The first time was at an event in Kansas City called The Kendrick Listening, where a group of us gathered to explore Kendrick Lamar’s “Father Time” and what it reveals about trauma, masculinity, and healing in the Black community.
When Dr. Maclin spoke, it wasn’t to impress the room, it was to ground it.
He shared a line that has stayed with me: 
“Mindfulness has had the greatest impact on how I lead. It helps me respond instead of react and that shift makes all the difference.”
He didn’t say it for applause. He said it so we’d pay attention.
Because that’s the kind of leader Dr. Maclin is – clear, grounded, intentional. Someone who doesn’t raise his voice to make a point, but instead gives you something to sit with.
The story that shaped him
Dr. Maclin grew up in St. Louis County. He’s not just leading in this community. He came from it. His path in education started long before his name appeared on any boardroom door.
He’s been a classroom teacher, a guidance counselor, a principal, a consultant, a professor. He’s worked with districts across Missouri and some of the largest in the country. And still, when you ask him about how he got into this work, he says:
“Education chose me. I didn’t choose it.”
That stuck with me. Especially because it’s not just something he says, it’s how he leads.
He doesn’t need a title to lead
When Dr. Maclin became superintendent of the Special School District of St. Louis County, he stepped into a complex role during a challenging time. But something he’s made clear from the start is that leadership isn’t about status, it’s about service.
He’s guided by a steady hand, a commitment to clarity, and a belief in building systems that last.
“The best leaders don’t chase moments, they build movements.”
His focus now is on inclusion, innovation, and ensuring that students and staff are seen, supported, and set up to thrive. Not through programs, but through culture.
Inclusion as a way of being
One thing I’ve heard him say over and over again is that inclusion is not a checkbox, It’s not a trend, It’s a culture.
At that same Kendrick Lamar event, he spoke about tension, not just in systems, but in our bodies, our relationships, and our breath. He asked:
“When we feel that tension, how do we gather ourselves? How do we breathe through it?”
That stuck with me too. Because so often, leaders talk about action plans but Dr. Maclin talks about presence.
He uses the analogy of the Great Wall of China. It took over 2,000 years and 14 dynasties to build. If we’re serious about changing systems, we have to think long-term. We have to think in layers.
And we have to ask harder questions:
- Why do schools conduct multiple fire drills a year when the last major school fire was in 1957?
- Why do 1.6 million students have police officers in their schools but no access to a guidance counselor?
These aren’t statistics to memorize. They’re realities to wrestle with.
What Midwest leadership really looks like
There’s something about Midwest leadership that often gets overlooked. It’s not always flashy or loud but it’s steady and it’s rooted.
Dr. Maclin is part of a growing group of leaders in the region who are quietly reshaping what impact looks like. They’re not just showing up to lead when the cameras are rolling. They’re leading in the rooms no one sees.
He’s not trying to be the loudest in the room, he’s trying to be the most present and that makes a difference.
“Inclusion isn’t a checkbox. It’s a culture.”
That quote says everything. And it’s one I’ll carry with me.
In a time when the work of leadership is getting louder and more performative, Dr. Maclin reminds us that the real work, the lasting work, is done through consistency, care, and clarity.
