Leading Resilient Adult Education Systems in an Age of Uncertainty

ABSTRACT Adult education institutions currently face compounded uncertainty from technological shifts such as generative AI and volatile labor markets. This article argues that these organizations function as complex adaptive systems where traditional linear leadership models are no longer sufficient. While adaptive and transformational leadership offer value, they often fail to keep pace with the speed of modern disruption. Consequently, the authors propose agile leadership as a necessary evolution, prioritizing rapid prototyping, decentralized decision‐making, and epistemic humility. This approach requires two simultaneous orientations: “Leading Within” to foster systemic resilience and “Leading Beyond” to cultivate radical imagination. By moving from rigid planning to iterative action, institutions can treat uncertainty as a generative condition rather than a barrier. Ultimately, adult education must model these practices internally, transforming institutions into living laboratories that embody the agile and resilient futures they aim to teach.