Building an ark

Each year in late October, I hop on an iron bird to Chicago and gather with fifty PK-12 Heads of School and CFOs across the country to share data and think about leadership. Inevitably, I leave these gatherings inspired once again to keep improving in the areas where we seem to lag behind. Similarly, I return to South Berwick so proud of all that we have accomplished in recent years to move our school forward.

Our keynote speaker this year was Roger Brown, President of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. It is remarkable to consider that he happens to be the co-founder of Bright Horizons, has made tremendous impact on world hunger through non-profit work, and almost seems to be the president of a major university in his spare time. Separate from all of that, he happens to be an avid jazz drummer with a deep understanding of the music industry. As a budding jazz player myself, I secretly dreamed of being a Berklee musician when I was a high school student but had neither the talent nor the courage to pull it off. Suffice it to say I was interested in hearing him speak.

Roger was addressing the nexus of industry disruption and leadership, pointing out how the emergence of the MP3, Napster, LimeWire and other matters that absolutely devastated the music industry a decade ago. Seemingly overnight, the industry that supported the bulk of Berklee’s graduates almost evaporated. While there are signs of hope in the future (Roger seems positive about the role of streaming in the future), the landscape for Berklee has fundamentally changed. He spoke to the leadership reality that when major storms come your way, he believes you have two metaphoric leadership choices: find higher ground or build an ark. The higher ground piece concept is about zeroing in on what you do best – better than anyone else. During his tenure, Berklee has clearly expanded away from its narrow niche in jazz to embrace other genres of music. In particular, he recently oversaw a merger with Boston Conservatory. Additionally, he has been able to launch a dual degree program with Harvard and hopes to do the same with MIT in the near future. Building an ark refers more specifically to the notion of creating new business ideas and structures to keep the enterprise sustainable. In Berklee’s case, they have recently opened satellite campuses in Valencia, Spain and New York City. They now enjoy a thriving online program that will endure even if the world’s higher ed model ultimately collapses. In fact, they have established numerous global partnerships, allowing students to take courses locally around the world only to then transfer in for two years rather than pay for four at Berklee’s campus. Finally, they have researched their graduates in detail to realize that Apple and Google are among the most common employers for their graduates. It turns out there is a legitimate connection between music composition and software engineering – creating a new brand message for Berklee around technology and jobs that is both powerful and controversial within the community.

One can’t help but hear such a presentation and try to reflect upon what strategies we have employed at Berwick as the affordability of independent education calls our sustainability into question. I believe we have moved to higher ground by doubling down on college placement, hiring outstanding teachers, and becoming a student-directed institution in more overt and public ways. We have always known that our students and teachers are our greatest strengths, and the more we can liberate them from constraints like the AP or rote learning, the more powerful and fun their learning will be over time. I think we have also started “building an ark” with new initiatives that will distinguish Berwick in the future. Our emphasis on Innovation, Wellness, and Cultural Competency all speak to new programs that are helping us stand out in the market. Programs like the Innovation Pursuit model (including a few online students) and the decision to build a small residential program represent bold new ways to think about our product and our future revenue streams. Perhaps more importantly, I hope we have built a culture that is willing to take courageous steps in the best interest of Berwick students – we are unwilling to stand still as a community.

There are certain days when I still wish I had shown the courage to take my saxophone or guitar and locked myself in practice rooms for hours on end. Sometimes I think it would be much simpler to continue drilling myself to improve my playing rather than manage the complexity associated with school leadership. I felt the same way about writing as I emerged from college – I dreamed of writing the next great American novel. But over time, I came to realize that I was not destined for such an introverted life. Today I am blessed to have the ability to try to build arks and seek higher ground almost every day – and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.