Assessing Leadership for Adaptive Change Through the Lens of Complexity Theory

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

With a focus on leadership for adaptive change—leadership practices that intend to transform, not reinforce, the status quo—this session examines three case studies of early career, urban school principals from Catholic, charter, and district schools who sought to enact adaptive change by distributing leadership responsibilities throughout their schools and creating a school culture shared by all community members. Drawing upon aspects of complexity theory, we explicate processes through which principals experienced and enacted adaptive leadership (Bennett & Elman, 2007). To conclude, we assess these studies through the meta-theoretical umbrella of integral theory (Wilber, 2006), an analytic lens that can serve as both an interpretive framework and operating system for school leaders (Forman & Ross, 2013).

Sub Unit

• SIG-Educational Change

Chair

• Patrick J. McQuillan, Boston College

Papers

• Working Across Three Sectors: Catholic, District, and Charter School Principals Enacting Adaptive Change - Patrick J. McQuillan, Boston College

• Distributing Leadership in an Urban Charter School: Blending Network Analysis With Complexity Theory - Valerie Spencer, Boston College

• Culture and Change in a Catholic School Context - Anna Noble, Boston College

• Leadership Metatheory: Fostering Transformative Leadership in the Face of Complexity - Brad Kershner, Boston College

Discussant

• Dennis Lynn Shirley, Boston College