If we are to create “tomorrow’s” educational organization and model, are the leaders of “yesterday’s” model the leaders we will need to build “tomorrow’s” model?
If education is to be transformed, should we not transform its leaders? If we are to create a new educational organization, then does it follow, we would need a new style of educational leader?
Current educational leaders are skilled at leading in yesterday’s model. Today’s educational leaders are attempting to fit the needs of “tomorrow” into the organization and model of “yesterday.” The educational organization has created leaders who are skilled at operating within that model. But as the model becomes outdated, misaligned with current needs, and in some cases broken, current leaders can only continue to adjust, repair, and re-align the old model the best they can. What they are not able to do is build a new organization. For, according to Umair Haque, author of a post on the Harvard Business Review blog entitled “The Builders’ Manifesto” it is not leaders that we need, but “builders.”
“What leaders ‘lead’ are yesterday’s organizations. But yesterday’s organizations… are broken.”
“Today’s biggest human challenge isn’t leading broken organizations slightly better. It’s building better organizations in the first place. It isn’t about leadership: it’s about “buildership”, or what I often refer to as Constructivism.
“Leadership is the art of becoming, well, a leader. Constructivism, in contrast, is the art of becoming a builder — of new institutions. Like artistic Constructivism rejected “art for art’s sake,” so economic Constructivism rejects leadership for the organization’s sake — instead of for society’s.”
Educational leaders are formed by the needs of the organization of the past. They were developed within a broken organization, to meet the leadership needs of a broken organization, and are skilled at leading a broken organization. But, if what is desired is to build a new organization, what will be needed are educational builders.
Umaik Haque contrasts the boss, the leader, and the builder in piece on
| The Boss | The Leader | The Builder |
| drives group members | coaches them | learns from them |
| depends upon authority | depends on good will | depends on good |
| inspires fear | inspires enthusiasm | is inspired — by changing the world |
| says “I” | says “we” | says “all” — people, communities, and society |
| assigns the task | leader sets the pace | sees the outcome |
| says, “Get there on time.” | gets there ahead of time | makes sure “getting there” matters. |
| fixes the blame for the breakdown | fixes the breakdown | prevents the breakdown. |
| knows how | shows how | shows why |
| makes work a drudgery | makes work a game | organizes love, not work. |
| says, “Go.” | says, “Let’s go.” | says: “come.” |
For it is the “builder” that includes us all, student, teacher, parent, communities, and society, in the design. The builder watches and learns from both teacher and student. Most importantly, the builder harnesses the love. For it is the love, the love of learning, the love of students, and the love of teaching that drives us all forward to build the education organization of tomorrow. The builder harnesses that love.
Philosopher Emile Chartier said, “Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one we have.” Might it be time to build a new idea of what educational leadership should be for the future?
Catalytic Questions:
When was the last time you revisited your view of leadership in education? Would you benefit from a fresh look at what education leadership is or needs to be?
Can we continue to rearrange our existing resources, methods, and strategies or is it time that we build an entirely new model of what education is?
Should construction start with demolition before building?
In what ways can you become a builder? How might that impact your school?
What if your school blew up?: The Little Becky approach to school reform
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