With the constantly changing environment of our communities that impact and make up our world, transformation is inevitable. The question is, are we leading this change consciously and doing what we can to ensure that our youth will be able to function as successful citizens and professionals in the future? In reality, this responsibility is shared among our school systems, parents and students to create a global platform of international education partners. Our educators and parents lead this transformational movement, which is required to connect our educational systems on a global level, as they themselves move with the winds of change to keep up with new processes and technologies to function in the changing conditions of our communities that link us to the greater world.
How can we ensure that we are the leaders required to facilitate the global transformation needed for our educational systems?
We first need to step back and ask, "What kind of life are we preparing our students for?" To take our students into the constantly changing future, we need to focus on the big picture while looking at the day to day, moment to moment here and now without losing sight of the fact that it is surely the here and now that impacts the bigger picture of the future. Our actions and efforts as leaders today will dictate the outcome of the transformation we seek. Utilizing clear personal values and beliefs to provide the purpose for setting this new direction, leaders help educators grow together to co-create the pathway to the new future.
To encourage the success of any individual or enterprise in the future, we need courageous leaders willing to push boundaries and barriers to stimulate the change needed in our global educational system and who are willing to link the local and global business communities around the world when doing so. Endurance to keep up with the required change is also a necessity for the most optimal and powerful result for our students.
The core success of this transformation that's needed hinges on a leader's ability to live strategically, which is different from strategic planning. Strategic living is an orientation of daily work that is driven by core values, a vision and mission, and a few big ideas. By living strategically, educators can respond to rapidly changing conditions, and become more nimble and flexible as they take advantage of emerging dynamics and their opportunities.
To develop schools as the necessary global learning centers discussed here, there are seven organic competencies that facilitate the development of leaders. The "Seven C's" are Confidence, Commitment, Co-creation, Connection, Communication, Celebration and Course Correction, and Caring, which together represent the characteristics of mature organizations.
Leaders of this global movement towards developing our students for success requires the development of agile and responsive organisms that can only occur by discarding the elitist hierarchy, undoing the myth that it is natural for all organizations to have superiors and inferiors. This elimination of the elitist hierarchy begins with educators and parents who lead by example to emphasize this truth for our students.
By stepping out, pushing boundaries and connecting our communities on a global level, we as leaders will be able to lead the movement reviewed here to transform our students into the individuals required to positively impact and succeed in organizations of our future for our world.