Leading in times of disruption: Preparedness, problems, and possibilities

Leadership in times of disruption has garnered attention in recent years as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, prior to the pandemic, constitutional uncertainty, forced migration, climate emergency, and the challenges of a post-truth era were some aspects of the complexities societies were facing, and education systems were tasked with responding to (Campbell, 2020). While perhaps changing in nature and form, these challenges persist, and education and the work of schools remain at the forefront of how societies respond in times of disruption and uncertainty.

This paper draws upon early data from a larger study examining leadership of change and improvement in the Hong Kong education system, comprising of a single case study design, and critical policy analysis. It also draws upon work compiled in a special issue of the School Leadership and Management journal (SLAM) guest edited by the author in collaboration with Esther Dominique Klein and Rania Sawalhi, the Educational Leadership Network leaders (ELN) of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) (Campbell, Klein & Sawalhi, 2023). This paper highlights and illustrates not only the complex demands and roles of contemporary leadership in schools and education systems, but explores how leaders at various levels of education systems can and do make sense of the challenges they face, and the role of leadership learning in this prior to, during, and after periods of disruption and uncertainty. This is framed through the important considerations of the varied characteristics that guide how we understand leaders and their leadership practice based on who they are as individuals, their schools, communities, and broader systemic and institutional contexts. Copyright © 2024 IEAC.