Leading Adult Learning

"Ellie Drago-Severson once again offers the field a profound and deeply practical roadmap for educational leadership. In an era marked by complexity, uncertainty, and rapid change, Leading Adult Learning 2.0 reminds us that the most transformative schools and systems are built through the intentional development of the adults within them. Grounded in decades of research and brought to life through powerful examples and actionable strategies, this book is essential reading for leaders committed to building humane, collaborative, and growth-centered educational communities." -- Muhammad Khalifa, Professor of Educational Administration and Executive Director of Urban and Rural Initiatives
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 is an essential book for anyone committed to educational leadership, professional learning, and human development. Blending developmental theory with practical application, Drago-Severson bridges research and practice in ways that make complex ideas accessible and transformative. In a time when educators are navigating unprecedented complexity, this book reminds us that supporting adult learning is foundational to building thriving schools, systems, and educational communities. A timely and indispensable resource for educational leaders." -- Michelle D. Young, Dean and Professor
"If, like me, you read and admired the original version of this book from one of its multiple printings, don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ve ‘seen this movie.’ Imagine an award-winning director remaking a classic nearly twenty years later and shooting 90% new film. You wouldn’t want to miss it. And if you are new to this ground-breaking work, come on in! The curtain is about to go up. A rewarding adventure awaits!" -- Robert Kegan, Meehan Professor of Adult Learning and Professional Development
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 is both timely and timeless. At a moment when schools and systems are navigating unprecedented complexity, Drago-Severson reminds us that the most important investment any leader can make is in the growth and development of people. Grounded in research and deeply practical, this book offers aspiring, new and veteran leaders a powerful framework for building stronger teams, healthier organizations and more human-centered schools. It is essential reading for anyone committed to leading adults with wisdom, courage and care." -- Brian K. Perkins, Ed.D, Professor of Practice, Director – Summer Principals Academy
"Ellie Drago-Severson has succeeded in preserving the strengths of her renowned books—while drawing sensitively on new research and addressing the educational challenges of today... and tomorrow." -- Howard Gardner, Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education
"Ellie Drago-Severson is a ‘people person’ – one that can engage, bring forth fabulous conversations, and model learning and leading incredibly well.  AAIE had Ellie as a speaker at our NYC event, where she gained the trust and interest of all in the room, and engaged the leaders with us in an inspiring way. Her book does the same.  Ellie focuses on teaming, bringing all together, and building leadership capacity. We can’t do it on our own, and Ellie’s words of advice are excellent. Building community, working together, and doing it with sharp wit and a sense of humor – Ellie’s approach, which is so needed now." -- Laura Light, Executive Director
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 is the rare combination of best practices and deep developmental wisdom. It gives leaders concrete ways to expand the cognitive, relational, and emotional capacities of the adults in our systems. Based on decades of research and finely attuned to today’s complex educational realities, this book is an essential guide for anyone serious about building inclusive, resilient cultures where adult growth and student learning flourish together." -- Mary Grassa O’Neill, EdD, Faculty Lead, ELOE School Leadership Pathway
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 is a powerful resource for leadership preparation, giving faculty and aspiring school leaders a meaningful common language for understanding adult learning, and development across schools and systems. In this book, Drago-Severson brings fresh perspective to her original work, offering new insights, findings, and practitioner voices that demonstrate the realities of leading adults in today’s educational contexts. Her work reminds us that leadership is undeniably human; adults grow through trust, reflection, support, healthy stretch, and relationships that honor how people make meaning. For those preparing future school leaders, this book offers practical, evidence-based tools for helping leaders create the conditions where adults can learn, collaborate, grow, and thrive, because the adults who serve students every day deserve the same intentional care, development, and support we seek to provide for children." -- John E. Critelli Jr., PhD, Director, PROPEL School Leadership Partnership Program
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 is a wise, timely, and much needed guide for educational leaders at every level who are seeking to cultivate the growth of individuals, learning communities, and systems. Grounded in research and rich with real-world examples, Drago-Severson offers powerful tools for cultivating growth across these contexts—creating more responsive, caring, and effective cultures where educators and students thrive." -- Dr. Marcia V Lyles, Professor of Practice of Education Leadership, Co-Director of Urban Education Leaders Program
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 is an invitation to lead courageously from within. It calls us into the vital work of adult development by acknowledging multiple ways of knowing and the concept of self-transformational learning, while distinguishing among the technical, adaptive, and mixed challenges defining our ever-changing world and leadership. What makes this work especially compelling is its emphasis on creating conditions for holding environments—spaces where people feel seen, valued, and safe to stretch beyond what they thought possible. It reminds us that belonging, inclusion, and equity must be intentionally cultivated. This is a must-read for leaders shaping communities and systems." -- Dr. Kristy Thrasher De La Cruz, Community Superintendent
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 has deeply shaped how I think about leadership, feedback, and adult growth. Drago-Severson’s work on Ways of Knowing has helped me provide faculty and staff with feedback that is more intentional, differentiated, and growth-centered. The Pillar Practices, especially teaming and collegial inquiry, have strengthened how our team uses our time together as a staff, creating space for trust, reflection, shared learning, and meaningful collaboration. This book is a powerful reminder that when leaders intentionally support adult development, they build stronger teams, healthier school cultures, and better conditions for students to thrive." -- Dr. James V. Monaco III, Co-Principal
"Drago-Severson’s Leading Adult Learning 2.0 offers much-needed protocols and scenarios to leaders at various levels to facilitate scaffolded support across organizations. The real-life stories, protocols, and examples in this book are a treasure trove for leaders facing the complex demands of schools today. As a superintendent of schools, I have employed the Pillar Practices with my principals and other educational leaders to build leadership capacity across the district. Understanding each principal’s Way of Knowing proved to have a significant impact on their professional growth and reflective practice. Leading Adult Learning 2.0 elevates the dimensions of leadership skills—both old and new—revealed through a global pandemic and political turmoil."  -- Dr. Rafaela Espinal, Assistant Superintendent, Director for Multilingual & English Language Learners, Former Superintendent
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 is the first and last book a school leader will need for success. For newer leaders, learning to see themselves and then others through the lens of adult development reveals so much of what undergirds the complexity and emotional labor they face. These leaders can leverage the case studies for each of the four Pillar Practices to immediately design excellent professional learning and begin shifting school culture in ways that support success for every student. For those who have been leading adult learning for decades, returning to these ideas as we each grow in our capacities and reflect as leaders will yield new wisdom about the complex and adaptive work of leading schools and a renewal of compassionate purpose." -- Derek Kanarek, PhD, Upper School Head
"Drago-Severson offers leaders not only a profound understanding of human development but also a practical framework that transforms theory into daily action. This book does not leave school leaders inspired for a moment and abandoned the next morning when reality returns. Instead, it places in their hands an approach they can live, apply, and return to every single day. When minds and hearts are developed together, transformation stops being an aspiration and becomes a lived reality. As someone who has lived these ideas in practice for many years, I found myself reading this book and thinking again and again: yes, this is exactly what school leaders need right now. It is magnificent, timely, and profoundly needed." -- Carol de Luca, Doctor of Education, Carol de Luca, Doctor of Education
"Leading Adult Learning 2.0 is both a timely and transformative guide for leaders navigating the complexity of today’s educational landscape. Drago-Severson masterfully bridges research and practice through a deeply human-centered approach that reminds us that leadership is, at its core, about growing people. This book is an indispensable resource for leaders committed to building capacity and cultivating meaningful collaboration." -- Michelle K. Verdiner, Ed.D., Principal, Teachers College Community School