Ask HN: Failure in Education/EdTech leadership – anyone else?

How do leaders become leaders? The word “leader” used to mean so much. Think about how important you felt being a line leader in primary school or a team captain in PE. Being a leader was earned—it meant you had exemplary behavior and could guide others effectively.

But is that what leadership means anymore? In my experience, leaders today are often disappointing. My post-grad work life has been disheartening, with supposed “leaders” letting me down repeatedly.

It started during college when I worked as a department assistant. I received no training for my tasks and was scolded when I asked clarifying questions to ensure quality. Why did the ice cream shop I worked at in high school provide more comprehensive training than my university’s admin office? That was my first taste of what the real world is like: leaders who don’t lead and managers who don’t manage.

My first post-grad job was at a bilingual school in Madrid. I met my principal on my first day and barely saw her again. When I struggled with misbehaving students, she dismissed my concerns, insisting things would “settle.” She even admitted she wouldn’t intervene because my English class brought the school extra money. Her priorities weren’t education or proper behavior; they were financial. How did someone so detached from education become a school leader?

Hoping it was a cultural difference, I moved back to the U.S. to teach. But I should’ve learned my lesson. At my new school, I received no curriculum training or guidance materials—my principal didn’t even tell me they existed. I taught the first half of the year without a single check-in. How could a school leader be so indifferent? Shouldn’t leadership mean ensuring that new teachers, and by extension their students, have the tools to succeed?

Frustrated with education’s lack of leadership, I switched to an ed-tech startup, excited to be part of a passionate team. My initial impression of the leaders was positive—they were kind and optimistic. But within three months, they stopped communicating. Meetings were canceled last minute, emails went unanswered, invoices unpaid. These leaders ghosted their own team, leaving us disillusioned despite our hard work. How did such people become leaders of a passionate startup?

Now, I’m starting another job, helping students falling behind. But even here, I haven’t heard from my manager as promised. I had to reach out myself for basic information about my first day, and I still have no clarity. Why is providing guidance and communication so rare in the workplace?

Leadership today seems to lack its original meaning. When I become a leader one day, I’ll remember these failures and ensure my team feels supported and informed. Leadership isn’t complicated—it’s about clarity, resources, and care. I hope others share this simple goal.