17. Are “U” Ready for the Future: Design Thinking as a Critical Educational Leadership Skill

This chapter explores how design thinking, integrated with systems thinking and Theory U, is an essential leadership tool for transforming learning spaces from preschool to learning within organizations. This chapter will help educators and those interested in the educational process to learn how generative thinking and leadership lead to designing new learning environs for sustainable living in the twenty-first century and beyond. The chapter starts with a rationale for why design thinking is needed today. The second part of the chapter explores the underlying concepts found in systems thinking, Theory U, and design thinking and how they relate to leadership. The readers will see how these concepts are used in an education leadership development program focused on creating new learning environment in the future. Finally, the reader will interact with the lessons learned to integrate these concepts into their daily routines.