Reflection: Building a Vision Beyond Tools — A Leadership Journey Through EDIT760 and the ISTE Standards
When I started this Instructional Technology Leadership course in January 2025, I approached it with a mindset shaped by real-world leadership experience: nearly a decade of supporting corporate training initiatives, mentoring new sales professionals, and building learning communities across divisions at Company A. Yet as the course progressed, it became clear that what brought me here — practical skills, initiative, and a solutions mindset — would not be enough to lead the next chapter of digital transformation. True leadership, I discovered, demands vision. It demands systems thinking. And above all, it demands a commitment to empowering others.
Seeing the Bigger Picture: From Functional to Visionary
Before diving into the ISTE Standards for Education Leaders (3.1–3.5), I viewed technology largely as a means to solve immediate problems. A new Teams hub for sales training? Launch it. A fresh onboarding manual? Build it. A missing communication tool? Find it.
But through projects like the Current Conditions Synthesis Report, where I evaluated digital learning barriers at NVR through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, I realized that piecemeal solutions without a cohesive vision eventually limit growth.
I saw echoes of ISTE Standard 3.1 (Equity and Citizenship Advocate) in our organization’s struggles — pockets of innovation separated by gaps in access, professional development, and systemic support. Leadership is not just about delivering tools; it is about cultivating environments where everyone can thrive digitally.
This shift in thinking felt less like adding a new tool to my toolbox, and more like changing the blueprint of the house I was building.
Designing Systems, Not Just Solutions
The Technology Improvement Plan was a pivotal moment for me.
Drafting actionable recommendations tied to ISTE Standards 3.2 (Visionary Planner) and 3.4 (Systems Designer) forced me to think in layers:
- How do we align technology use with the organization’s long-term goals, not just next quarter’s metrics?
- How do we create infrastructure that doesn’t just fix today’s problems but empowers tomorrow’s learners and leaders?
For example, rather than simply recommending that Company A’s upgrade outdated software, I proposed embedding ongoing technology literacy sessions into quarterly training schedules, designing digital mentorship networks across divisions, and formalizing PLN (Professional Learning Network) participation to ensure cross-pollination of ideas.
These ideas weren’t just about products; they were about building resilient ecosystems.
Creating Experiences that Empower Learners
Through the TalentLMS microlearning project and the ICE (Instructional Community Engagement) activities, I learned that empowering learners means inviting them into ownership of their learning experience.
Designing:
- Peer partnership activities that required co-creation,
- Reflective activities that asked employees to connect learning to their own challenges,
- Learner-led projects where participants could teach others about tech tools they found valuable,
…helped me live out ISTE Standard 3.3 (Empowering Leader) and 3.5 (Connected Learner).
It was an important reminder: the best leaders don’t just impart knowledge — they build spaces where others can create, contribute, and grow.
Personal Insight: Leadership is Ultimately About Belief in People
One theme resonated again and again through this work: great digital leadership isn’t about technology — it’s about people.
It’s about believing that given the right vision, right support, and right culture, people will grow into the future we imagine for them.
Without that belief, technology is just hardware and apps.
With it, technology becomes a catalyst for empowerment, innovation, and community.
Recommended Resource for Future Inspiration and Ongoing Growth
Throughout this journey, several resources deeply influenced how I view leadership, technology integration, and instructional design. These materials continue to guide me as I refine my approach:
Couros, G. (2015). The Innovator’s Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity. Dave Burgess Consulting.
Couros reminds leaders that innovation isn’t about adopting the newest tools — it’s about cultivating a mindset of exploration, creativity, and resilience. His work inspired many of the learner-led activities I designed during the courseies from diverse industries. It’s a continual reminder that no matter where we work — in schools, in corporate America, in nonprofits — the human-centered values behind the ISTE standards are universal.
ISTE Standards for Education Leaders
https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-education-leaders
This resource remains foundational, offering a clear roadmap for anyone who seeks to lead with vision, equity, and innovation in digital environments.
Fullan, M. (2014). The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact. Jossey-Bass.
Michael Fullan’s work emphasizes that real leadership isn’t about managing — it’s about leading cultural change. His model of “leading the learning” resonated deeply with my reflections on empowerment and building lasting digital ecosystems.
Robinson, V. (2011). Student-Centered Leadership. Jossey-Bass.
Although focused on education, Robinson’s emphasis on inquiry-driven, evidence-based leadership directly connects to the work we did on the Current Conditions Synthesis Report and Technology Improvement Plan. Her insights about using data thoughtfully to drive improvements influenced how I structured my recommendations.
Senge, P. M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization. Doubleday.
Senge’s ideas about systems thinking inspired me to view technology leadership as more than isolated initiatives — but as part of an interdependent, evolving learning culture.
Bates, A. W. (2022). Teaching in a Digital Age (2nd ed.).
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/
Bates offers actionable strategies for designing effective, learner-centered digital instruction. His focus on matching pedagogy with technology choices aligned perfectly with the goals of our ICE activities and TalentLMS course designs.
Looking Ahead: A Living Reflection
As I close this chapter of Instructional Technology Leadership, I see this blog not as a static archive, but as a living reflection of my journey as a digital leader.
In the coming months and years, I intend to continue:
- Sharing new instructional designs,
- Reflecting on technology trends and leadership challenges,
- Documenting my ongoing learning journey.
This is more than just professional development — it is a commitment to the kind of leader I want to be:
One who builds cultures, not just programs.
One who inspires growth, not just compliance.
One who leads with vision, heart, and hope for what is yet to come.
Because the truth is, leadership isn’t about where we are today.
It’s about the future we’re brave enough to build together.