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BY DR. RICHARD STRAND

A decade ago the American Association of Community Colleges of the results in any kind of system is a function of the awareness
(AACC) coined the phrase “Leading Forward.” It was used from which people in the system are operating. Even though our
in connection with an initiative that served to document the world is interconnected in ways unimaginable even a decade
signifcant turnover that was expected to occur across the college ago, in many cases our awareness - whether as individuals,
landscape. At that time (2003-2004), it was estimated that some organizations, or nations - is still limited and local. We need the
700 new community college presidents and campus heads, 1,800 collective wisdom of leaders at all levels to see our way forward as
new leaders in upper administrative positions, and 30,000 new part of an ever expanding and engaged eco (not ego) system.
faculty members would be needed to replace those who were To many of us, the shape of the emerging future is a mystery.
anticipated to retire soon. Te key to facilitating this signifcant But this we know as the 21st century continues to unfold: the
transition was to focus on fnding and developing the human changes we sense and see occurring today portend even more
resources critical to continuing to build and deliver community signifcant changes in the future, the kind that will impact every
college education. aspect of society as we know it, from labor, to capital, production,
Whatever the turnover estimates are today (the League of technology, leadership, and certainly education.
Innovation reports nearly 300 presidents are now expected to In this edition we do not seek to ofer as much of a blueprint as
retire in the near term), the fact is that change is ever present in key insights on various aspects of leading forward. If there is
our organizations and the impact of these important leadership any common theme connected to each piece, it is that leading
changes cannot be overstated. Ronald Heifetz, founding Director forward requires diligence, thoughtfulness, an investment of
time, efort and money, and a willingness to drop the baggage
“Leading forward” is not of old habits in order to be more open to the options and
opportunities coming our way.
a choice, it is an obligation. Tere is a wonderful video series that has appeared on the

History Channel recently titled “Te Men Who Built America”.
of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy It features a rich palate of scenes drawn from the lives and likes of
School has written that some of the most vital work we expect Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Ford; men who appeared
leaders to do is to get up on the balcony and identify the adaptive to be singularly driven and moved to act on their visions of the
challenges we are most likely to confront in the future. “Leading future. We may still have uniquely talented and driven visionaries
forward” is not a choice, it is an obligation. like that today, but it is far more likely that the future depends
Otto Scharmer, co-author of Leading From the Emerging Future, on “more of us” than just a “few of us.” Te degree to which we
engage in problems holistically, globally, consciously, inclusively,
describes a powerful process for sensing the future that is emerging and collectively, the more likely we stand the chance of creating
so we can align ourselves with it and help it to come into being. and sustaining a better future for all of us.
One of the key insights is that form follows awareness: the quality

LEADERSHIP Vol. 20.2 Fall 2014 3

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