Revitalizing formative leadership

About Us

Who We Are

Developing practical wisdom in those who lead—and form—others, so people and institutions can flourish. 

The Practical Wisdom Project, housed at the Abigail Adams Institute, works with educators and leaders across sectors to develop the judgment, habits and practices they need to navigate challenges, form people, and build strong, flourishing institutions. 

In a time marked by rapid change and artificial intelligence, many leadership models fall short of addressing what matters most: how leaders make sound judgments, shape culture, and invest in the growth of others. Practical wisdom — phronesis— remains essential. It cannot be automated or outsourced. It must be cultivated.

What We Believe

Practical wisdom can be developed through disciplined reflection and practice. It grows in context through real decisions, real relationships and real responsibility.  

We believe: 

• Leaders shape culture through the judgments they make every day. 

• Forming people so they can thrive is essential to effective leadership–not separate from it. 

• Human flourishing and high performance are not competing aims but are deeply connected. 

• Every leader has the capacity to grow in practical wisdom and cultivate it in others. 

What We Do

We work alongside leaders to exercise practical wisdom in the daily decisions and responsibilities of leadership. We help leaders:

• Navigate conflict, uncertainty, and competing aims with sound judgment

• Build cultures of trust, character and shared purpose

• Develop others through formative practices embedded in daily work

• Align decisions with the long term flourishing of people and institutions

Our approach is rooted in the humanities–drawing on ancient wisdom, philosophy and contemporary research and experience to develop structured practices leaders can use in their own settings.

Wisdom at Work: Revitalizing Formative School Leadership

Our flagship program, Wisdom at Work: Revitalizing School Leadership, is a research–practice partnership that brings school leaders and researchers together to develop and study leadership practices grounded in practical wisdom and human flourishing.

Now accepting applications for the 2026 - 2027 school year. Learn more and apply here.

Our Impact

Since Fall 2021, the Practical Wisdom Project has delivered more than 125 engagements reaching 10,000+ educators, students, and leaders across 500+ universities, schools, and nonprofits worldwide.

Building on two pilot cohorts and our inaugural executive education program, Wisdom at Work deepens our longitudinal research while laying the groundwork for replication of this model across sectors.

2022 Highlights | 2023 Highlights | 2024 Highlights | 2025 Highlights

Impact & Testimonials 

Read testimonials and outcomes from our inaugural Practical Wisdom for Agile Leadership program.

Leadership

Karen E. Bohlin, EdD asks a fundamental question: what does it take to lead wisely—and to develop others in the process?  She is the founding director of the Practical Wisdom Project at the Abigail Adams Institute and a Research Affiliate at the Harvard University Human Flourishing Program. For three decades, she has worked with educators and leaders across sectors to cultivate practical wisdom amid the real-time challenges they face each day. Her work bridges scholarship and practice, equipping leadership teams to navigate uncertainty, shape culture, and create the conditions for people and institutions to flourish.

A scholar-practitioner with experience in higher education and school leadership, she leads Wisdom at Work: Revitalizing Formative School Leadership.

Research & Publications

Journal Articles

Bohlin, K. E. (2022). The Practical Wisdom Framework: A Compass for School Leaders. Journal of Education, 202(2), 156-165.

Ngozi M Nnamani, M., Hershey, M. S., Anthony, C., Pacheco, M., & Bohlin, K. E. (2025). From concept to capacity: Evidence of school leaders activating the four functions of Phronesis. Journal of Moral Education, 1–18. 

Hershey, M. S., Anthony, C., Pacheco, M., Ugarte-Abollado, C., Enwright, C., & Bohlin, K. E. (2026). Phronesis and flourishing in school leadership: Exploring the effects of an executive education program in practical wisdom. Journal of Moral Education, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2026.2637804

Pacheco & Febrarti (2026). Wisdom in their Words: A Phenomenological Study of Practical Wisdom in School Leadership. Journal of School Leadership.

Dr. Bohlin's scholarly work also explores the role of literature and the arts in developing the moral imagination essential to practical wisdom.

Book Chapters 

Bohlin, K. E. (2023). Educating the heart: Why poetry matters. In L. D’Olimpio, P. Paris, & A. P. Thompson (Eds.), Educating character through the arts. Routledge.

Bohlin, K. E. (2026). A phenomenological reflection on Rembrandt’s Aristotle with a Bust of Homer. In M. M. C. Manalili, D. M. Goodman, & D. Boros (Eds.), Aesthetic ethics: Toward a moral imagination. Routledge.

Additional Programs

Other programs of the Practical Wisdom Project include:

• Courageous Dialogue: Practical Wisdom for Navigating Difficult Conversations

• Learning from Mistakes: Practical Wisdom for Mentors & Young Professionals

• The Schooling of Desire: Practical Wisdom from Philosophy, Art & Film

Want to learn more? 

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Our Network & Affiliations

The Practical Wisdom Project works alongside leading research institutions and organizations worldwide whose work in character, virtue, and human flourishing informs and amplifies ours.