Leadership for Personalized, Competency-Based Learning

One of the biggest challenges in achieving sustainable personalized, competency-based learning is building leadership capacity. The Portrait of a Leader initiative directly addresses this challenge by defining what it takes to lead in today’s evolving educational landscape. Developed collaboratively by educators, this visionary resource serves as a blueprint for cultivating the skills, mindsets, and dispositions that are essential for driving transformational change. 

The Genesis of the Portrait of a Leader

Facilitated by KnowledgeWorks, the Lead for Learners national network is a community of educators dedicated to systems transformation through personalized, competency-based learning. The network focuses on fostering equitable and sustainable learner-centered systems change. It was from this innovative network of educators 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. 

The Portrait of a Leader reflects the collective expertise and aspirations of educators working to advance personalized, competency-based learning. More than a list of attributes, it embodies a shared vision for the qualities essential to lead education into a future defined by innovation, resilience and transformation. Its significance lies not only in the depth of its content but also in the inclusive and collaborative process through which it was created.

“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,” said Estrada, teaching and learning coordinator at Mesa Public Schools in Arizona and Lead for Learners steering committee member. 

A Collaborative Effort

The development of the Portrait of a Leader was shaped through focus groups, workshops, and extensive rounds of feedback. The process culminated at the Aurora Institute Symposium 2024, where the voices of K-12 innovators – from the classroom to the state level – and organizations that support them came together.

During a pre-session and a subsequent regular session at the Aurora Institute Symposium, educators from diverse backgrounds collaborated to refine and apply the Portrait of a Leader. Grounded in dialogue, reflection, and a shared sense of purpose, these sessions offered participants opportunities to explore actionable strategies to strengthen their leadership capacity and develop emerging leaders. The pre-session focused on grounding the tool in lived experiences, with educators sharing their own leadership challenges and successes to ensure the Portrait resonated with those leading transformation in real-world conditions. 

 “I needed that conversation about leadership,” wrote Gary Chapin 

in his reflection piece about his Aurora experience. “What differentiated it from all the other conversations I’ve had about leadership was its intentionality, its structure, and the abundance and variety of minds in the room.” 

In the regular session, members of the Lead for Learners Network Steering Committee and KnowledgeWorks staff worked with participants to leverage the draft Portrait as both a reflective framework and a practical guide. Educators used the tool to assess their leadership capacity and identify pathways for cultivating the skills and mindsets necessary to build a stronger bench of leaders capable of driving and sustaining transformational change.

The Potential of the Portrait of a Leader

The Portrait of a Leader is a dynamic resource designed to inspire and equip leaders at every level — from classrooms to districts. By defining a common language for leadership development, it aligns with the goals of personalized, competency-based learning and provides actionable pathways for fostering innovation and equity. 

“The true power of this resource is its ability to support leaders in translating these attributes into actionable strategies,” said Laura Hilger, senior director of teaching and learning at KnowledgeWorks. “Our ongoing focus is to ensure that the Portrait of a Leader not only inspires but empowers education leaders to drive true systems transformation.”

By defining the key attributes and competencies needed for transformative leadership, the Portrait provides a resource to guide professional growth and as a foundation for targeted training programs. By embedding the Portrait attributes into key areas of organizational strategic planning — such as professional development, recruitment and succession planning — organizations can cultivate a sustainable leadership pipeline at all levels, capable of advancing personalized, competency-based learning even during times of transition and uncertainty.

The continual challenge of sustaining momentum for personalized, competency-based learning often arises when an innovative principal or district leader moves on, leaving a leadership gap that stalls progress. Addressing this challenge requires building a deep bench of learner-centered leaders equipped to carry forward systems change. 

 “As leaders, we’ve seen implementation of personalized, competency-based learning lose steam when a key person leaves,” said Dr. Jeni Gotto, superintendent of Westminster Public Schools in Colorado and Lead for Learners steering committee member. “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.”

A Vision for the Future

The Portrait of a Leader reflects a shared commitment to future-ready learning experiences. It stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the potential of educator-driven initiatives. As schools and districts continue to navigate the complexities of systems transformation, this tool will serve as a foundation for developing leaders who can sustain momentum and drive meaningful change.

Through the Portrait of a Leader, KnowledgeWorks hopes the field will find a powerful framework for reimagining educational leadership — one that prioritizes equity, innovation, and the needs of every student. Together, educators and leaders can use this resource to create classrooms, schools and districts that will prepare students for the dynamic, ever-changing future ahead.  

Learn More

• Talking Leadership and Transitions with Ron Schmidt
• How to Have a Conversation About Transformational Leadership
• Celebrating Stories with Leadership Journeys

Shelby Taylor is the director of marketing and communications at KnowledgeWorks, where she helps to develop and implement organizational communications and public relations efforts that elevate and advance innovative teaching and learning policy and practice.