Portrait of a Leader
A shared vision for the skills educators need to drive innovation and lead education systems change through personalized, competency-based learning. By elevating these attributes, the Lead for Learners network aims to support, grow and celebrate the development of education leaders – from the classroom to the district level.
The Portrait of a Leader defines the attributes necessary for educators to effectively and sustainably lead systems change. Rooted in the principles of personalized, competency-based learning and collaborative, human-centered approaches, the Portrait serves as a guide for the qualities that will empower educators to drive innovation and make a lasting impact. The Portrait of a Leader is more than a set of leadership skills; it’s a collective vision for the qualities needed to lead education into the future.
Why we created the Portrait of a Leader
One of the biggest challenges in achieving sustainable personalized, competency-based learning is building leadership capacity. The Portrait of a Leader directly addresses this challenge by defining what it takes to lead in today’s evolving educational landscape.
As leaders, we've seen implementation of personalized, competency-based learning lose steam when a key person leaves. The Portrait is about creating a pipeline of school-, district- and classroom-level leaders who not only embrace a learner-centered vision but have the capacity to move the work forward. It's a critical step toward ensuring that the work we start today continues to serve students for years to come.
Dr. Jeni Gotto
Superintendent, Westminster Public Schools, Westminster, Colorado
Lead for Learners Network Steering Committee Member
Personalized, competency-based systems require leaders who can navigate technological change, meet diverse student needs and adapt to shifting societal expectations, all while fostering inclusive, forward-thinking learning environments that prioritize learner agency, personalized student growth, mastery of competencies and flexible learning pathways. Until now, a clear, unifying framework to guide leadership development in these efforts has been missing. The Portrait of a Leader fills this gap, offering a resource that serves as a roadmap and a call to action.
This tool is designed to help schools, districts and organizations invest in the skills and mindsets essential for fostering transformative change. By aligning their development efforts with the Portrait of a Leader, learning communities can cultivate leaders who will drive continuous improvement and ensure all students receive high-quality, future-ready learning opportunities.
A transformative vision for education leadership begins here.
A collaborative process built for educators, by educators
It was from the Lead for Learners network that the Portrait of a Leader initiative was born. Recognizing the pivotal role of leadership in driving systems change, the Lead for Learners steering committee sought to create a resource that could support and guide those navigating today’s complex educational challenges.
Creating the Portrait of a Leader has been a deeply collaborative journey led by KnowledgeWorks and educators participating in its Lead for Learners steering committee. Focus groups, workshops and countless rounds of feedback have shaped this tool, reflecting the voices of teachers, administrators and other education leaders from diverse educational settings across the country. Through this rigorous, inclusive process, the Portrait of a Leader was developed as a shared vision, built from the ground up to meet the needs of those at the forefront of systems transformation. Every aspect of the Portrait reflects a national commitment to sustainable, systemic change, guided by real experiences and insights from the field.
The Portrait of a Leader reflects the collective expertise and aspirations of educators working to advance personalized, competency-based learning.
As a steering committee, we recognized a pressing need for a unifying framework to guide the development of leaders equipped to manage transformational change in a sustainable and human-centered way. This resource meets that need. It is a call to action and a roadmap
Estrada
Teaching and Learning Coordinator, Mesa Public Schools, Mesa, Arizona
Lead for Learners Network Steering Committee Member
Download the Portrait of a Leader
Are you ready to take the next step in your leadership journey? Download the Portrait of a Leader to explore the attributes and reflect on your personal leadership development.
