Portrait of a Leader
Leadership development for lasting change
Too often, student-centered systems change loses momentum when key individuals leave a school or district. The Portrait of a Leader was co-created with educators across the U.S. through the Lead for Learners network to address this critical challenge. Grounded in real-world educator experiences, it defines a shared vision for leadership development in personalized, competency-based systems – helping schools and districts build a pipeline of leaders with the knowledge, skills and mindsets to carry the work forward.
Now expanded in its second edition, the Portrait of a Leader includes competency-based progressions that support reflection, growth and personalized leadership development.
Leadership is about everyday actions, not job titles
Developed for district leaders, principals, instructional coaches, teacher leaders and other instructional leaders, the second edition of the Portrait of a Leader includes:
- A shared vision for leadership development grounded in five core attributes: human-centered, authentic, collaborative, advocate and transformational
- Clear, observable competencies that can be practiced, developed and measured over time
- Rubrics to support reflection and map progress across four levels: establishing, developing, proficient and advanced
- Tips for reflection, goal setting and collaborative learning
- Real-world examples of Portrait of a Leader attributes in action
For individual district-, school- and classroom-level leaders, use the Portrait of a Leader to:
- Identify strengths and areas for growth
- Set leadership development goals
- Reflect on decision-making and daily leadership practice
For schools and districts, use Portrait of a Leader to:
- Inform coaching, mentoring and feedback
- Strengthen recruitment, onboarding and succession planning
- Align leadership practices to your vision for personalized, competency-based learning
- Grow emerging leaders and guide leadership development systems
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
Former Lead for Learners 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 and system-wide leadership development.