Everyone had an opinion on the tool, and no one had examined the design

TikTok video by Laura K Spencer

Watching my husband weld is one of the clearest lessons I know in what competence feels like up close.

My parents were in town this weekend, so we went to the Wild Animal Park.

Saturday, I co-led a group of eleven vehicles on an off-road trail.

Silence from leadership gets interpreted as mistrust faster than leaders expect. Even when the silence wasn’t intentional.

Sandstone Canyon is easy to miss if you’re moving too fast. It branches off Fish Creek Wash without much announcement. A sign. A turn. If you weren’t already in the mood to slow down, you’d keep going. Once you’re inside, the walls come up quickly. Fifty, maybe seventy feet. The wash is still sand and crushed dirt, still not what anyone would call technical, but there isn’t much extra space.

Learning tools are improving faster than learning systems. As AI, XR, and new platforms promise transformation, many organizations are discovering that adoption alone doesn’t translate into impact. This reflection explores why learning innovation often stalls and what it takes to design systems that actually develop human capability.

Leaders often miss the subtle signals in meetings. This post explains how AI can help challenge first interpretations and reveal blind spots that impact decision-making.

This post breaks down how leaders can use the See Think Wonder routine with AI to slow down, separate facts from assumptions, and get clarity after meetings that feel off. Simple, practical, and built for busy people who want to think more clearly.

When the pace of work takes over, leaders stop thinking and start reacting. This post explores how a simple pause, supported by AI, can help leaders reconnect with their values, check their assumptions, and rebuild a true culture of thinking.

Stop spreading yourself too thin: learn to say no to tasks that don't move you closer to your goals. It's the first step to intentional success.

Before the Thanksgiving travel rush, I ended up in a packed car dealership waiting room: a perfect example of what happens when everyone follows the same idea without questioning it. This real-life echo chamber reminded me how often leaders fall into the same trap. When everyone thinks alike, critical thinking disappears. In this post, I explore why strategic divergence matters, how consensus can work against innovation, and what leaders can learn from a crowded pre-holiday service appointment.

Experience the future of learning at VR for EDU: Inside the Classroom with Elite Academy — a one-day, in-person event at Meta Boomerang LA. Join Meta, Knoxlabs, Elite Academy, ENGAGE XR, and Illuminat...

Plato never heard of a deepfake, but he understood the prison it could build for the human mind. I remember reading his Allegory of the Cave my first semester of community college. In the allegory, prisoners are chained to a wall, forced to watch shadows dance across the stone. They have never known anything else, so they believe the shadows are the world.

It's been a few months, but I’m still processing the lessons I’m taking away after sitting in on the d.school book club chat with Sarah Stein Greenberg about her fantastic book, Creative Acts for Curious People. The entire conversation was a masterclass in leading creative teams, and it completely reshaped how I think about my own role as a leader.

ALT: a man in a suit and tie is asking if he can get an amen ?

/PRNewswire/ -- Elite Academic Academy has unveiled its 2025 white paper, From Teaching to Empowering: Revolutionizing Education in the Age of AI, a bold call...

When I’m off-roading, there’s a moment every adventurer knows well. You’re deep on the trail, the terrain is uneven, and suddenly, you realize you haven’t seen a trail marker in a while. That’s when doubt creeps in. Am I still on the right path, or am I about to waste daylight backtracking? One time, I missed the markers completely because I was chatting with a friend who had joined me.

Lisa M. Lawson’s book Thrive explores how adolescent brain science can reshape education, support systems, and how we help teens truly thrive.

I’ve written before about the time I ordered a pizza to reconnect my ex-husband to the outside world. No car. No phone. No internet. A disconnection, both literal and emotional. We used Domino’s delivery notes as our 21st-century carrier pigeon. It worked, but only because someone made the effort to reach out, to bridge the gap, to make belonging possible when the system failed.

Everywhere I turn, people seem exhausted. Not just by the pace of change, but by the growing sense that our systems, especially in education, are still answering the wrong questions. We’re designing for efficiency when what we need is empathy. We’re measuring content mastery when what’s slipping through the cracks is human development. I keep coming back to a question I shared recently with educators at our Elite kickoff:

There’s a bit of irony in the title of the first book I picked up from the d.school book club: Make Possibilities Happen. Because I joined the club months ago, full of energy and good intentions, and promptly… fell behind. Haven’t made it to a single Zoom meet. Still playing catch-up on the reading. So maybe this is my version of possibility-making.

A Reflection on Systems Change and Personal Resistance I just listened to The Conversation Factory podcast episode called "The Seven Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems" with Adam Kahane, and I felt like he was talking just to me. “A crack in a system is a sign that, at least for some people, it is not working. A crack offers a not-yet-realized opportunity to transform the system… it presents hope, but also disruption, confusion, conflict, and danger.”

If your thank-you centers you, it’s not gratitude. It’s PR. Let’s rethink how we show appreciation and put the spotlight where it belongs.

Leading three days of in-person professional learning with our virtual staff is pure joy. We’re focusing on relationships, community, and culture—because tech is only as powerful as the people behind it. Months of planning lead to that first hallway hug, and suddenly, it all makes sense. This is why I love this work.

The author reflects on their unroadworthy 1973 Land Rover, recognizing it as a symbol of dreams for others while they overlook its significance. A comment on social media prompts a deeper appreciation for their own life and the joys often taken for granted. They commit to embracing the ordinary and cherishing life's beauty.

PanelPicker® is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform. Enter ideas and vote to help shape Conference programming for SXSW and SXSW EDU.

Most leaders don’t fail because they lack vision—they fail because their systems don’t support their goals. I learned this the hard way, in both military and education leadership roles. And while we love to throw around phrases like “defined autonomy,” the truth is many teams are navigating ambiguity, not empowerment. This post explores what real structure looks like, why systems matter more than ambition, and how we can create clarity without micromanagement.

What can a lost baby bird teach us about leadership and the future of AI? In this reflection on Are You My Mother?, Laura K Spencer, Ed.D. explores how belonging, recognition, and human connection shape the way we lead—and why tech can’t replace empathy.

Just finished Managing Transitions by William Bridges? Here’s how this timeless framework reshaped how I view change, leadership, and emotional resilience in education.

What can a furry blue monster teach us about leadership? In this heartfelt reflection on The Monster at the End of This Book, Laura K Spencer, Ed.D. explores empathy, fear, and the power of turning the page—together.

What can a sneezing elephant teach us about leadership? A childhood book sparked fresh insight on how even our smallest decisions can shake the ground beneath us. In this post, I reflect on leading…

A friend sent me an article about happiness called, "Happiness doesn’t have to be a heavy lift." Something that resonated was a portion on reverse pet peeves, which are those small things that bring disproportionate joy.Ironically, right after I finished reading it, I was sent a copy of a photo from a work event a couple weeks ago, which is a perfect reverse pet peeve moment.

I have been a Simon Sinek fan for a long time. The other day I saw this quote by him which has me thinking: “The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen." It’s a simple yet profound reminder that leadership isn’t about being the sole innovator or the constant doer, but about fostering a space where talent and creativity can flourish.

A joyful Hulu ad reminds us: we can’t control the weather outside, but we can protect our inner climate. Choose joy—dance anyway.

This weekend, while off-roading, I had an experience that offered some powerful leadership lessons. As our Land Rover club navigated a trail, we came across a couple in a Tesla Model 3 who had found t...