The Unlearning Leader is about how today's leaders need to connect for success. The premise of this book is that we all need to unlearn. “From connecting with other education leaders to creating a new model of professional development, where practitioners are the experts and professional educators help each other get better at their practice, the book is chock-full of real-world examples of this new kind of leadership.” ― Tech & Learning Leader “The popular moderators of the Twitter chat #suptchat, Michael Lubelfeld and Nick Polyak, have taken some of their social media musings to print. Their combined experiences as superintendents in suburban Chicago permeate the text, along with professional learning network contacts they befriended. The result is a highly practical book centered around the idea of ‘unlearning.’ ‘Unlearning That’s the Way We Have Always Done It’ is a chapter title that will ring true for many education leaders. The innovations in the duo’s school systems form the basis of the text, peppered with correlating research. At a realistic 97 pages, The Unlearning Leader is a just-right read for individual school leaders, a professional learning community and aspiring leaders in preparation programs.” ― School Administrator “The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today is a book that will make a difference. Unlearning implies relearning, and that relates to change. The once constant in education today is change. Leaders must know how people learn, communicate, and think. Nick and Mike are energetic, innovative, creative experts in promoting effective leadership that embraces today’s vastly different environment. This book is not an option – it is fundamental to building educational attitudes and behaviors that produce exceptional learners.” ―Jim Burgett, author, speaker, president of the Burgett Group, Illinois Superintendent of the Year “In The Unlearning Leader, the authors beautifully deconstruct some of the narratives of what many see as traditional schooling, and create a compelling narrative on why we need to embrace and create a new (and much better) narrative of K-12 education. With many powerful examples throughout the book, this book will spark many ideas on how you can create meaningful changes that will empower your students in a world that needs them to make a difference in the lives of others.” ―George Couros, Learner, Educator, and Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership consultant; author, "The Innovator's Mindset" “Mike Lubelfeld and Nick Polyak are champions for children. As I travel across the country, I strongly encourage superintendents to stay engaged with professional peers within their regions, their respective states and throughout the country. Mike and Nick are doing just that. Through a variety of platforms, they're effectively leveraging the power of social media, which is why I applaud their efforts to 'celebrate the connected leader' in this book. They have mobilized scores of like-minded educators from coast to coast for a common cause ― breaking down the barriers from education's bygone days and building a culture of innovation to create more opportunities for students to be successful.” ―Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA, The School Superintendents Association; former school superintendent Dr. Michael Lubelfeld has served as a public school superintendent in Illinois since 2010 and currently leads North Shore School District 112, serving the communities of Highland Park and Highwood, IL, just north of Chicago. A nationally recognized educational leader, Dr. Lubelfeld is deeply engaged in leadership development and professional growth, collaborating with state and national associations to inspire the next generation of educational leaders. A sought-after speaker, he has presented across the United States and internationally on topics including leadership, student voice, global service learning, and innovative educational practices. Dr. Lubelfeld has co-authored several influential books, including The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow's Schools (2017), Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable (2018), The Unfinished Leader: A School Leadership Framework for Growth & Development (2021), and The Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself (2024). His latest work, Leading for Tomorrow's Schools Today, is currently in publication and will be released this year. Dr. Lubelfeld's leadership has been recognized with multiple awards, including 2025 Rotary Service Above Self Award, the 2021 Administration and Supervision Distinguished Alumni Award from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Education, and the 2017 Lake County Superintendent of the Year Award. In addition, he was recently accepted into the 2025 ISTE-ASCD Generation AI Fellowship, and he was selected for the 2025-2026 Google-GSV Fellowship. In 2025, he was also named as one of the top 100 Influencers in education, and he received the Delta Awa