Leadership in an Uncertain Age

New Head of School Aline García Rubio reflects on how Catlin Gabel cultivates leaders

By Dr. Aline García Rubio, Head of School

Ours may be defined as a revolutionary era. We are living through profound societal and technological change. Global governments are shifting, artificial intelligence is reshaping human labor and relationships, and an individual’s sense of reality can be narrowed by siloed streams of information. 

These changes have enormous implications for our human connection, our creative and productive lives, and our sense of security. The world is undeniably uncertain. A Catlin Gabel education provides a path for graduates to lead their own lives and to lead others through the unpredictable. 

Our pillars of progressive education are more relevant than ever. We educate for democracy so our students will be informed, discerning humans who use their foundational knowledge, deep thinking, and integrity to influence their communities. Faced with confusing information or incivility, Catlin Gabel learners know to inquire, analyze, find expertise, and draw conclusions. Through that practice, our students cultivate their minds, seek and find connections, and develop informed opinions. Our graduates leave Catlin Gabel prepared for the unpredictable because the skills they've mastered here transcend the academic experience.

Daniel Goleman, psychologist and scholar of emotional intelligence, writes of how leadership requires self-awareness, self-management, understanding others, and social skills. Catlin Gabel provides rich experiences and provokes reflection so that students learn about themselves and each other in shared endeavors. Students building robots, walking the Japanese Alps, or drawing water from the pump in our new playground learn through human interactions. Through these relationships, they become healthy, connected people. They practice social and collaborative skills. They are guided lovingly and joyfully by teachers and by one another. As people, we need each other—to feel our value, to grow, to feel competent, and to lead.

We all lead unique lives guided by our own interests, our moral compass, and our internal drive. Leaders also follow the insights and expertise of others. Excellent leaders pay attention. So do our students. They notice ideas, relationships, patterns, tensions, and possibilities. They learn to recognize the inner voice that says, “This is the way I want to go.”

At Catlin Gabel, students practice using their voice in both small and significant ways. They choose what they wear to school. They co-design our schedule. They build exhibits to teach others. They shape the school’s strategic priorities. Learners use their voices on their rugs in the Beginning School’s circles, and they continue to use them all the way to their representation on our Board of Trustees (an opportunity rarely offered outside of progressive schools). By listening carefully, by learning with and from others, Catlin learners discover what they believe, what they value, and what is worthy of their attention and action. Through their work and interactions at Catlin Gabel, students grow to be connected, independent, and competent humans. 

These humans—our students—participate in consequential decisions that shape the future of their families, their communities, and the wider world. In a society increasingly shaped by technology, misinformation, and rapid social change, Catlin Gabel graduates will use the aggregate of their experiences, knowledge, discernment, and creativity—their formed wisdom—to lead moral, loving, and productive lives. In that wisdom, our students integrate personal fulfillment with public responsibility. It is that fostered wisdom that will transcend the unpredictable.

I first realized I was leading when I was elected as the 4th Grade Senator of my elementary school. I continued to have official and unofficial roles as a leader throughout my life (my medical school peers named me “the baton” for the direction I offered during years of late-night study sessions). Throughout my trajectory at Catlin Gabel, I was empowered to work with a broad range of intelligent, caring, and wise colleagues. I learned to listen carefully, to create connected teams, and to strive for alignment. I enter my headship at Catlin Gabel knowing how to practice leadership as a result of my experiences in collaboration, many of which took place here on our campus on Barnes Road.

People want to be connected with one another. We want purpose, meaning, and a sense of competence through our work. With my leadership, Catlin Gabel faculty, staff, and administrators will act as an effective team—connected, empowered, and joyfully working toward our shared purpose. We will build and rebuild (and rebuild again!) trust and clarity. Our team will thus be a model for learners to pursue their own leadership, of self and of others. A school like Catlin Gabel provides an ideal setting for our collective growth. I can’t wait to get started!