Leading in times of disruption – preparedness, problems, and possibilities (Part 1)

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. The purpose of this special issue guest edited by the Educational Leadership Network leaders (ELN) of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) has been to highlight and illustrate not only the complex demands and roles of leadership in schools and education systems, but to explore how leaders at various levels of education systems 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.