ABSTRACT
If schools want to truly be institutions of learning, leaders should encourage experimentation, create psychological safety, and commit to the regular implementation of pilots. In the early days of idea generation, it is often impossible to distinguish between crazy and great ideas. Design thinking requires teams to make critical observations about a problem from multiple perspectives. Typically, leaders want to move immediately to action to tackle an issue. School leaders must create psychological safety to encourage innovation. There can be no risk taking if faculty are afraid to openly challenge superiors’ views and fear career damage for their efforts. A school that supports innovation should celebrate failure, be able to learn from mistakes, and encourage more experimentation. The leader can begin by setting the tone through their own behavior. They must be willing to constructively critique others’ ideas without being harsh and should require regular input and critique of their own ideas and proposals.
