On Bold Moves
Schools are becoming increasingly ambidextrous organizations (Robert Duncan, 1976), even though they may be unaware of it. Leaders must focus simultaneously on delivering current educational practice while preparing for the future. That being said, really bold schools have decided not just to prepare for the future, they’re moving into it right now. If those shifts become permanent (if there is such a thing…), then it means that certain schools are going through a recalibration, the full extent of which may not be recognized or appreciated for several years.
Redefining the Top Leadership Position
In 2017, John Chambers (who was then CEO of Cisco Systems) was the guest speaker in an executive education class at Harvard Business School, where he delivered the following message: "A decade or two ago, CEOs could be in their offices with spreadsheets, executing on strategy. Now, if you're not out listening to the market and catching market transitions, [...] if you're not understanding that you need to constantly reinvent yourself every three to five years, you as a CEO will not survive."