This study examines the role of professional ethics and leadership education in responding to complex risks and fostering resilience. It argues that professions distinguish themselves not simply by expertise but by their ethical commitments, which constitute internalized moral guardrails that orient practice toward the public good. Leading ethically, therefore, is synonymous with practicing a profession rightly, as professionals act as civic leaders as well as technical experts. Against this backdrop, adaptive leadership provides a conceptual framework for navigating crises marked by uncertainty, trauma, and disruption. Its practices—such as regulating distress, maintaining disciplined attention, giving work back to people, and protecting marginalized voices—enable leaders to mobilize communities and sustain meaning-making amid adversity. Empirical cases from educational leadership during earthquakes in Türkiye and New Zealand illustrate how adaptive leadership manifests in material coordination, psychological support, shared leadership, and collective hope. Historical and policy perspectives, including Rebecca Solnit’s account of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the Will to Intervene project, highlight both grassroots and formal responsibilities in crisis response. Ultimately, professional adaptive leadership is framed as moral work that bridges ethics, resilience, and education, equipping professionals across fields to meet the challenges of complex risks with fairness, justice, and care.

Authors:
William Frick, University of Sharjah and University of Oklahoma, United Arab Emirates

About the Presenter(s)
William C. Frick, Ph.D. is the Rainbolt Family Endowed Presidential Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, University of Oklahoma.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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