The Wisdom at Work Fellowship is a program of the Practical Wisdom Project at AAI.
What is Wisdom at Work?
Wisdom at Work: Revitalizing School Leadership
School leaders face myriad challenges: handling angry parent emails, managing contentious meetings, and addressing bullying—often before the school day even begins. Each situation demands nuanced thinking and sound judgment, not one-size-fits-all answers. How do school leaders learn to move from reactive mode to calm, wise responses?
Our new three-year initiative, Wisdom at Work, aims to answer that question. We view practical wisdom (phronesis)—the disposition to press pause, deliberate, and respond well—as the antidote to reactive decision-making. Practical wisdom enables leaders to attend to context, engage stakeholders meaningfully, and navigate competing priorities—turning everyday challenges into opportunities to foster flourishing.
Rooted in innovative, research-based design, the Wisdom at Work Fellowship will equip school leaders and their teams with tools and practices they can use to lead with wisdom, even under pressure. Over three years, we will grow a vibrant Community of Fellows—engaging school leaders not just as participants, but as partners in research and design. Together, we are shaping a fresh, field-tested model of professional development, building evidence-based tools, and cultivating a networked Community of Practice.
The Wisdom at Work team is led by Dr. Karen Bohlin, Director of the Practical Wisdom Project at the Abigail Adams Institute and former head of school, in partnership with Dr. Mark Pacheco, Co–Principal Investigator and Associate Professor at the University of Florida.
Funded by a $1.6 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation, Wisdom at Work builds on the Practical Wisdom Project’s inaugural executive education program, Practical Wisdom for Agile Leadership (PWAL), which engaged two cohorts of leadership teams from schools serving over 7,500 students across the country. School leaders found the experience both grounding and practical. As one participant put it:
“It gave us the kind of wisdom we need most right now. When the world seems volatile and unpredictable, it is crucial for us to know how to stay calm, people-centered and still deliver at the highest level.”
This expanded initiative will support and study three additional cohorts of school leadership teams as they navigate the demands of school life. In addition to robust professional learning, these teams will help build an emerging body of evidence on how practical wisdom develops in school leaders—and what helps it take root.
At the heart of the program is the Practical Wisdom Framework™, a shared approach to decision-making developed by Dr. Bohlin. Through case-based problem solving, guided reflection, peer dialogue, and coaching, leaders apply the framework in real time—strengthening shared habits that support wise action in moments that matter.
Our early work points to a powerful link between leading with practical wisdom and creating school cultures marked by trust, unity, and shared purpose. Wisdom at Work: Revitalizing School Leadership is designed to illuminate that connection—and to strengthen the practices that help leaders make wise, formative decisions every day.
Explore Our Wisdom at Work Fellowship
This project was made possible through the support of Grant 63617 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this project are those of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.