Cultivating Leadership Autonomy for Complex Times

During a speech in August, President Biden described the world as being at an inflection point, defining it as an abrupt turn off an established path without the means to get back on track:

“The world is changing and not because of leaders, but because of fundamental changes like global warming and artificial intelligence. We’re seeing changes … across the world in fundamental ways. And so, we better get going on what we’re going to do about it, both in foreign policy and domestic policy.”

He asked the audience to name a part of the world that looks like it did 10 years ago or will look the same 10 years into the future. Encouraging his audience to see these changes as “enormous opportunities,” he stated, “[W]e stands at an inflection point, an inflection point in history, where the choices we make now are going to shape the direction of our world for decades to come. The world has changed."

Those leading today’s schools understand inflection points—their challenges and opportunities. School leaders guided by informed visions understand that their students’ futures will be radically different than those of past generations. Graduates will need the skills to adapt and innovate, as will the educators preparing them. Such adaptation and innovation will require leaders to develop cultures of learning and collaboration within and across their schools. It will be imperative to foster educators’ initiative and autonomy, as well as their knowledge and skills. This will also require trust.