This morning during my run I listened to Verse 17 of the Tao Te Ching and various interpretations. It got me to thinking about how leadership shapes the life of a school.
With the greatest leader above them,
people barely know one exists.
Next comes one whom they love and praise.
Next comes one whom they fear.
Next comes one whom they despise and defy.
When a leader trusts no one,
no one trusts him.
The great leader speaks little.
He never speaks carelessly.
He works without self-interest
and leaves no trace.
When all is finished, the people say
“We did it ourselves.”
Lao-tzu
Much of the hierarchal structures within school organization seemingly reflect leadership that creates various iterative changes, and that is somewhat true, but who are people really following? Is there a teacher, coach, colleague, organization, or parent that leads others in thought and action?
I’m not an expert by any means, but some of the people who lead me are not even in education; however, they gently initiate and guide the questions that I ask myself about learning and the life of a school and those lead to reflection, communication with others, and oftentimes actions that are quite different from anything I had originally thought, have even read about in my educational leadership journals, or heard about from the professional organizations or people that hold leadership titles at the top of an educational hierarchal structure.
The leaders ask great questions, tell meaningful stories, and create personal emotional connections that resonate in my mind where my imagination engages to create deep
connections within the brain and heart that encourage new ideas and conversations with my colleagues that shape what happens in a school. Actions that emerge are developed without force, to the extent that my colleagues and I find what we do our own choice, rather than a result of the leader. The beauty of leadership as taught by Lao Tzu 
reminds me of water because it is soft, pliable, and yet able to penetrate and shape anything hard and rigid gently and over time.
About NikkiSweeney
It is difficult to fully express my gratitude for the journey I have had in education and the deep sense of purpose that continues to guide my work. After serving as Assistant Head of School and Head of Upper School at The Village School of Naples, I have transitioned to continue my life’s work through Pay It Forward Enterprises. While the setting has evolved, the mission remains the same: advancing the lives of young people through leadership, innovation, and meaningful human connection.
My path has been shaped by more than two decades at the University School of Milwaukee, where I served as Director of Innovation, Educational Technology, and Entrepreneurship. It has been strengthened by graduate studies in Educational Leadership and Technology in Education. But the true foundation of my work has always been the students themselves. Their curiosity, their questions, and their desire to lead lives of purpose continue to inspire everything I do.
That inspiration led to my earlier book, The Virtue Code: A Guide to Flourish for the AI Generation, which reflects a generation’s desire to navigate a rapidly changing world with both wisdom and integrity. More recently, it has shaped my newest work, The Quiet Crisis and the Future Worth Building, where I explore a deeper and more urgent reality: why educators are leaving, how the structure of schooling is being challenged, and what must come next as we rethink learning in an age of artificial intelligence.
Together, these works represent both a belief in human potential and a call to action. One focuses on the development of young people. The other examines the systems meant to serve them.
At Pay It Forward Enterprises, I am building on this foundation by helping students, educators, and leaders unlock potential, strengthen connection, and design more human-centered approaches to learning. I am especially energized by the opportunity to explore how technology can elevate, rather than replace, what matters most: relationships, purpose, and the cultivation of a meaningful life.
The journey continues, and I could not be more energized to keep growing, learning, and paying it forward.
Nikki B. Sweeney 