top of page

Skillful team leaders make learning possible.

District priorities move forward when schools develop teachers, coaches and administrators to lead teams with intention, skill and an unwavering belief in students and each other.

ChatGPT Image Jul 16, 2026, 06_56_23 AM_edited.jpg

Elisa MacDonald

Two-time bestselling author, consultant, and always a teacher at heart.

Some think of me as"The Team Lady."

But my work is much more than teaching educators how to facilitate meetings. 

 

I partner with districts, schools and organizations to build leadership capacity, helping teams advance priorities and achieve lasting improvements.​​​​​

Specializing in:

teacher
leadership

What if your team leaders could skillfully mobilize others to advance instructional priorities?

IMG_6505_edited_edited.png

Team
Collaboration

Imagine the impact your leadership team could have with greater trust, focus, and communication. 

IMG_6443_edited_edited.jpg

Leadership
Coaching

There's no limit to your growth with a partner who believes in you, challenges you and laughs with you.

_edited_edited.jpg

Strategic Planning

What could you accomplish if your school aligned around a vision grounded in shared values that guided all decisions?

IMG_1250.jpeg

What District and School Leaders Say

Bestselling Books
by Elisa MacDonald

What Highly-Respected Authors Say

Jim Knight

Author of Instructional Coaching 

"Written in a clear, practitioner-friendly style, this book provides team leaders with an array of useful strategies to address common team hurdles and realize the promise of powerful, collaborative learning."

The Core Framework in Elisa's Work

The MacDonald
Team Function, Impact Matrix ™

Screen Shot 2022-06-13 at 10.12.27 AM.png
MacDonald Elisa B., The Skillful Team Leader: A Resource for Overcoming Hurdles to Professional Learning for Student Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Cowin, 2013


Elisa originated the MacDonald Team Function, Impact Matrix™ framework and first published it in the 2013 bestselling book, The Skillful Team Leader. In 2023, I reprinted the MacDonald Team Function, Impact Matrix™ in the bestselling book, Intentional Moves.

The MacDonald Team Function, Impact Matrix™ has been cited and reprinted in numerous publications including Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey's books.

For more free resources subscribe to my popular blog.
As a bonus, receive a
"SMA-A-HRTIE Goal" Checklist!
IMG_0523_edited_edited.jpg

I have trained and developed thousands of teacher leaders, coaches and administrators in skillful and intentional leadership to get their teams to Quadrant One on The MacDonald Team Function, Impact Matrix™ .

What Teacher Leaders Say:

bottom of page