I was recently asked to gaze into a crystal ball and share my vision for both WiBE and myself a decade from now.

I typically thrive on goal-setting.  Yet, this time when I was presented with this question, I couldn’t help but feel frozen, unsure of how to answer.

The future seems daunting, filled with challenges that are both unprecedented and worrisome. Artificial intelligence is poised to disrupt every industry, and higher education is set to navigate significant bumps and hurdles.

Universities are worried about declining enrollments, and the media is sounding the alarm for an impending recession in the US.

I’ve just returned from Rome, Italy where I sit on the International Advisory Board of Luiss Business School.   I am honored to sit with some of the most dynamic minds in global business education who are also navigating this new world.

But for me, when the future seems murky and uncertain, it’s difficult to even begin to imagine what those opportunities could be.

So instead I’m choosing to embrace the present moment and all that it offers.

I’m grateful for the beautiful community of support and positivity that I find in WiBE.  I treasure the new and inspiring friendships that have been made, and the incredible places that I get to visit.

Yes, you need clear goals and a vision for the future. I always want WiBE to be guided by that north star.  But sometimes, you just have to plant a seed and wait patiently for the flowers to grow.

I don’t want to spend all my time thinking about what the future may hold and forget to appreciate the beauty that’s right in front of me, today.

—Lisa Leander, Founder & CEO

p.s. Ready to join a phenomenal community that will build your future leadership?  Learn more about membership in Women in BizEd and join us in San Jose to explore what the future holds at our annual conference.

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