Soldwedel Consulting, LLC

Transform Tomorrow

Why I do this work?

Meet Perry Soldwedel and Soldwedel Consulting, LLC

Educator. Superintendent. Strategic Management Leader. Author.

For more than four decades, I have helped school leaders create better futures by moving districts from vision to results through continuous improvement.

“I believe leadership exists to create better futures for students. Everything else—planning, management, improvement, measurement, and reporting—is in service of that purpose.”

I help school leaders think differently so they can build better futures for students.

Perry Soldwedel, founder of Soldwedel Consulting, LLC

Author. Speaker. Consultant.

Partnering with leaders to create clarity, alignment, and impact.

01

My Hope

My hope is that leaders move beyond strategic planning and embrace strategic management.

I hope they create schools and school districts where purpose guides decisions, people work together toward a shared vision, progress is measured thoughtfully, and continuous improvement becomes part of the culture.

Ultimately, my hope is that every system they build creates better futures for every student.

02

My Legacy

For most of my career, I never thought about leaving a legacy.

I simply wanted to help school leaders create better futures for students.

In recent years, many leaders have encouraged me to capture what I have learned so others can benefit from it.

That reflection led me to write my book on strategic management.

It led me to redesign this website.

It inspired me to organize my tools, stories, and resources so they remain available long after I retire.

Most importantly, it reminded me that leadership is not about what we accomplish alone.

It is about what continues because we were here.

Purpose gives us a reason to lead. Leadership inspires people to move forward together. Systems ensure that the work continues to improve long after we are gone.

For me, that is the trilogy.

Purposeanswers Why?
Leadersanswer Who?
Systemsanswer How?

Together, they answer a much bigger question:

“How do we leave an organization stronger than we found it?”

“For me it is how to I leave the profession I love better than I found it?”

“How do I leave leaders with the knowledge, skills, mindsets, dispositions, tools and other resources I have come to learn and know that I absolutely know make the difference in the lives of students?”

03

My Purpose

I believe every school district has the ability to become extraordinary. I believe great plans alone do not transform school systems. Great leadership, focused on the RIGHT things, does.

My life’s work has been helping leaders build the clarity, alignment, leadership, and continuous improvement systems that make extraordinary possible.

What Drives Perry

  • Helping leaders grow
  • Making complex simple and significant
  • Asking bold questions
  • Learning every day
  • Creating better futures for students

What Is the Soldwedel Difference

  • Building leadership systems that last
  • Turning vision into measurable results
  • Aligning people, priorities, and resources
  • Equipping leaders—not creating dependence
  • Building district capacity for continuous improvement

“Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating the conversations where better answers can be discovered together.”

Meet Perry Soldwedel

Perry Soldwedel

A Passionate Leader. A Proven Partner. A Commitment to Student Success.

Perry Soldwedel is an educational leader, author, and strategic management expert who believes that every school district can transform bold visions into measurable results when leaders focus on the RIGHT things.

Experienced. Practical. Passionate.

Helping leaders do the right things before doing things right—so every student can thrive.

“My lifelong mission is simple: Helping school leaders do the right things before doing things right.”

More than four decades in education. One unwavering focus: Students first. Systems second. Everything aligned.

  1. Teacher

    Where my love for learning began.

  2. Principal

    Leading schools and building strong cultures.

  3. Superintendent

    Guiding districts to focus on what matters most.

  4. Consultant

    Helping districts transform strategy into results.

  5. Author & Speaker

    Sharing ideas that inspire and support leaders.

What I Believe

  • Every student can learn at high levels.
  • Clarity, alignment, and accountability drive achievement.
  • Data is our flashlight, not our hammer.
  • Continuous improvement is a leadership mindset.
  • People, relationships, and culture are the foundation of success.

What I Do

Through Soldwedel Consulting, I help school districts:

  • Build community-owned strategic plans
  • Develop Graduate Portraits
  • Align resources to strategic priorities
  • Create leadership systems and dashboards
  • Move from strategy to measurable results
  • Build capacity for continuous improvement

I don’t just deliver plans. I help build the systems and capacity to sustain results.

A Proven Impact

  • Supported districts across Illinois and beyond
  • Guided hundreds of leaders through strategic planning and execution
  • Known for making complex ideas simple and actionable
  • Helping districts create clarity, alignment, and lasting impact
Cover of "The Eight Dimensions of Strategic School Management: Leading the RIGHT Way" by Perry Soldwedel, foreword by Howard Rohm
The Eight Dimensions of Strategic School Management

A practical guide for school leaders who want to focus on the RIGHT things and build systems that drive results.

See the book →

My Commitment to You

I will listen deeply. I will challenge thinking. I will provide proven frameworks and tools. Most importantly, I will walk alongside your leaders to build systems and capacity that empower your district to thrive—now and in the future.

Your success is my purpose.

I Believe

Great plans alone do not transform school systems. Great leadership, focused on the RIGHT things, does.

Strategic Partnership · Measurable Impact

Meet Soldwedel Consulting, LLC

We partner with school systems and organizations to create clarity, align priorities, execute with excellence, and achieve lasting results for students and communities.

Soldwedel Consulting, LLC helps school districts transform strategy into disciplined action, develop leadership at every level, and build the organizational capacity to achieve lasting measurable success for every student.

Soldwedel Consulting, LLC practices the essential principles of contemporary strategic management:

  • Execution over planning—strategy becomes action.
  • Leadership development—capacity is built throughout the organization.
  • Systems thinking—resources, people, and priorities are aligned.
  • Evidence-based decision making—results drive improvement.
  • Continuous improvement—progress is monitored and refined over time.
  • Sustainability—districts become less dependent on external support.
  • Student-centered impact—all efforts are ultimately evaluated by their effect on student success.

  • Clarity

    We bring focus to what matters most.

  • Alignment

    We connect people, priorities, and resources.

  • Continuity

    We build systems that sustain momentum.

  • Capacity

    We strengthen people and processes.

  • Impact

    We drive results that transform lives.

Our Services

Strategic Planning

Create a bold vision, set clear priorities, and build a roadmap to achieve your future.

Strategy Execution

Turn strategy into action through focus, accountability, and strong systems.

Data & Performance

Use data to inform decisions, monitor progress, and improve outcomes.

Process Improvement

Streamline processes, eliminate waste, and build a culture of continuous improvement.

Leadership Development

Empower leaders at every level to lead with purpose and drive change.

Facilitation & Coaching

Engage stakeholders, build consensus, and strengthen teams for lasting success.

“Good plans don’t change the world—good leadership and execution do.”— Perry Soldwedel

  • Experienced Leadership.
  • Proven Systems.
  • Measurable Results.
  • Continuous Improvement.

Helping school districts transform bold visions into measurable results through strategic leadership, proven frameworks, and continuous improvement.

www.soldwedelconsultingllc.orgSimple and Significant.™

Our Mission

We empower school leaders to build high-performing systems that transform vision into action, develop leadership at every level, and improve outcomes for every student.

Our Vision

Every school district becoming a model of continuous improvement where visionary leadership, disciplined execution, and a relentless focus on students create extraordinary futures.

Our Core Values

  1. 1. Relationships First: We believe lasting improvement begins with trust, respect, and genuine partnerships.
  2. 2. Every Student Matters: Every decision ultimately serves one purpose: improving opportunities and outcomes for students.
  3. 3. Leadership Changes Everything: Leadership is the single greatest influence on organizational success. We believe leadership can be learned, strengthened, and multiplied.
  4. 4. Growth Through Learning: The best organizations are always learning, reflecting, adapting, and improving.
  5. 5. Integrity Always: We do what is right, tell the truth, honor commitments, and earn confidence through our actions.
  6. 6. Hope for the Future: We believe every school district has the capacity to become better than it is today.

Strategic Management

Strategic management provides the discipline that transforms a vision into measurable results. Without it, even highly effective organizations can become busy without making meaningful progress.

It creates clear direction, aligns resources, focuses on student outcomes. Improves decision-making. It increases accountability, builds organizational alignment, creates continuous improvement and strengths sustainability.

A school district cannot achieve lasting improvement through excellent operations alone, nor can it succeed with a strong strategy that is poorly executed. Strategic management provides the direction, priorities, and accountability needed to improve student outcomes, while operational management delivers the daily excellence required to turn those priorities into reality. When these two functions are intentionally aligned, districts are better positioned to achieve measurable results, adapt to changing needs, and sustain continuous improvement over time.

Our Promises

“We promise to partner with school districts to build leadership, strengthen systems, align resources, and create the organizational capacity to continuously improve so that every student has the opportunity to succeed.”

  1. Our Promise #1

    We will listen before we lead.

    Every district has a unique story, culture, and community. We begin by understanding yours.

  2. Our Promise #2

    We will help you think differently.

    Our goal is not simply to provide answers, but to help leadership teams ask better questions and discover better solutions.

  3. Our Promise #3

    We will build leadership capacity.

    Our success is measured not by what we do for you, but by what your leaders are able to do long after we leave.

  4. Our Promise #4

    We will keep students at the center.

    Every conversation, every framework, and every recommendation ultimately serves one purpose: improving outcomes for students.

  5. Our Promise #5

    We will create practical solutions.

    Ideas matter only when they can be implemented. We believe in practical, usable leadership tools.

  6. Our Promise #6

    We will align your work.

    Mission, vision, priorities, resources, action plans, budgets, and accountability should all move in the same direction.

  7. Our Promise #7

    We will help you live your strategic plan.

    We don’t measure success by the quality of the document. We measure success by how the plan changes leadership practice and student results.

  8. Our Promise #8

    We will leave your district stronger than we found it.

    Our goal is to build sustainable leadership systems that continue to improve after our partnership ends.

  9. Our Promise #9

    We will partner with school districts to build leadership capacity, strengthen systems, align people and resources, and create the organizational capability for continuous improvement so every student has the opportunity to succeed.

  10. Our Promise #10

    We will continue learning alongside you.

    Leadership is a journey. We believe the best partnerships are built on curiosity, reflection, continuous learning, and shared growth.