I have long been fascinated by the workings of†our education systems. Often, the work I do with senior leaders requires moving through some dysfunctional behaviors to bring about functional, high-performance practices. I often wonder, “Where did these people learn that being dysfunctional will achieve their aims”? And I am forced to conclude that they learned to be this way many years before. Perhaps at school. Competition, aggression, winning, intimidation, isolation, learning just the minimum to get through, parents who buy results for their children – the list goes on. Later, these students transfer these traits to their leadership practices in organizations – and we should not be surprised by the results.

Much of our education system is stubbornly stuck in old methodologies and beliefs and suggesting changes, as I have painfully learned, is not an easy sell.†We have helped a few leading educators and their systems to achieve remarkable results – one school district using our methodologies to move from 800th to 200th in the nation†in a few short years.

Fast Company,a frequent chronicler of unfolding trends,†presents a brilliant article by Anya Kamenetz†describing how mobile technology and open source software and apps are bringing education to students, at a lower cost, in the student’s preferred learning style, at a speed appropriate for each learner, in instantly translatable content, with tracking capabilities and complete mobility. What this means is that the technology industry has aligned with altruistic entrepreneurs to navigate around the bureaucracy and out-of-date thinking of our education system to deliver inspiring learning to students, despite the obstacles presented by a moribund system.

Recently, I asked an audience comprised of the faculty of a major teaching college why we continue to use Victorian teaching methods (and content) in an age when the average teen between 13-17 years old sends nearly 2,000†text messages each month. In other words, they endure an archaic system of communicating in the classroom, relieved by what they do in their real world as soon as they can escape. This is no way to inspire learning in young people who will very quickly grow into leadership positions in our society.

And if we also entirely omit teaching values, integrity, character, service and honoring the sacredness of others in our curricula – we have a recipe – a perfect storm – for developing dysfunctional adults.

But there is hope. As Fast Company reports, “The U.S. Department of Education has earmarked $5 billion in competitive school-reform grants to scale up pilot programs and evaluate best practices of all kinds. Major foundations are specifically zeroing in on handhelds for preschool and the primary grades.”

Let’s hope we learn how to make the grade. And let’s hope some of the brave teachers who are pioneering new ideas maintain their courage in a system that can sometimes present a hostile environment for breakthrough ideas. We need these leaders now, because they are developing our leaders of tomorrow.