Learning-to-Earning in an Unorchestrated World

The Ten Commandments for Learning-to-Earning Leadership

When I was in seventh grade, my family took a trip to Italy, where we explored the remarkable achievements of the Renaissance. One of the most striking sculptures I encountered was Michelangelo’s Moses, a masterpiece carved in marble, housed in San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome.

One detail always stuck with me: the horns on Moses’ head. Of course, Michelangelo wasn’t depicting Moses with actual horns—he was illustrating beams of light, inspired by a mistranslation of biblical texts. Yet, over centuries, this artistic choice fueled harmful misinterpretations and antisemitic myths, reinforcing biases that persisted long after the artist’s intent was forgotten.

This is an important lesson for our time. When intent is misread, when bias goes unchallenged, or when narratives are shaped without clarity or shared understanding, they can lead to long-term misconceptions and division. The same danger exists in today’s fragmented learning-to-earning ecosystem, where differing priorities, competing interests, and misaligned incentives create unintended consequences.

I share this not as a lecture or claim to superior insight but as a call to my community—those who recognize that some challenges are too complex to solve alone. If we go off on our own, our reasoning may be sound, but the outcomes may not be what we truly desire. We must ask: Are we building for collaboration, or are we reinforcing fragmentation?

This brings me to the Ten Commandments for Learning-to-Earning Leadership—a guiding framework for navigating the chaos, embracing evolution, and ensuring that we shape the future together rather than being shaped by competing interests.

The Challenge of an Unorchestrated System

The education-to-employment landscape is more divided than ever. On one side, funders and advocates chase quick solutions, focusing on grants, policy influence, and rapid implementation. On the other, market-driven enterprises scale by adoption, proving their value through market demand rather than lobbying. Meanwhile, the foundational digital infrastructure that could unify efforts—a shared freeway for all—remains fragmented.

Amidst this chaos, AI and large language models (LLMs) offer the promise of speed and affordability. But at what cost? Beneath the surface, legacy software, entrenched biases, and misaligned incentives continue to reinforce a system that is reactive rather than proactive. The challenge isn’t just about innovating faster—it’s about orchestrating efforts so that progress is sustainable.

Too often, projects chase funding over purpose, action over strategy, and superficial fixes over systemic change. The result? A battlefield mentality, where institutions and organizations fight for dominance rather than fostering collaboration. If we are to build a future-ready learning-to-earning ecosystem, we need principles that guide us toward cooperation, shared vision, and long-term success.

The Ten Commandments for Learning-to-Earning Leadership

1. Thou Shalt Not Build Without a Shared Foundation

A system cannot scale if it lacks a common infrastructure that allows all players to participate. The absence of a shared digital backbone leads to inefficiency, redundancy, and wasted efforts. Build for interoperability, not silos.

2. Thou Shalt Not Worship False Solutions

Shiny new tools, AI quick fixes, and the latest policy trends are tempting idols. But solutions built without understanding the root problems only create more fragmentation, not less. Solve for underlying constraints, not just surface-level issues.

3. Thou Shalt Honor Evolution Over Revolution

Disruption isn’t always the answer. Systems have evolved over centuries, and transformations that endure embrace both historical knowledge and new ideas. Respect the past while forging the future.

4. Thou Shalt Align Incentives with Outcomes

If funding models reward short-term impact metrics, the system will optimize for short-term wins at the expense of long-term progress. Design incentives that drive sustainable change, not just immediate deliverables.

5. Thou Shalt Not Confuse Speed with Progress

"Move fast and break things" may work for Silicon Valley, but education and workforce systems cannot afford reckless experimentation. Depth, resilience, and alignment matter more than speed.

6. Thou Shalt Create Space for Leadership to Emerge

Game theory (Nash Equilibrium) tells us that progress stalls when potential leaders wait for others to act. Those who can lead, must lead—even if it means stepping outside their comfort zones.

7. Thou Shalt Recognize Bias in All Systems

Every system—whether it’s software, funding, policy, or research—is built on assumptions and biases. If Michelangelo’s Moses teaches us anything, it’s that misinterpretation can lead to long-term harm. AI models, data-driven decisions, and policy frameworks must be actively designed to counteract bias rather than reinforce it.

8. Thou Shalt See Chaos as a Catalyst

Fragmentation and competing voices are not signs of failure—they are signs of transformation. The goal is not to eliminate chaos but to shape it into a coherent, shared vision.

9. Thou Shalt Build for the Many, Not the Few

Too many initiatives serve select institutions, privileged learners, or grant-based mandates. A true learning-to-earning ecosystem must work for all learners, regardless of background, geography, or institutional prestige.

10. Thou Shalt Not Fear Collaboration

Silos exist because of fear—fear of losing control, resources, or relevance. The path forward requires radical cooperation, even among those who have historically competed. True progress happens when we replace rivalry with a shared mission.

Orchestrating a Shared Future

Michelangelo’s Moses is a reminder that how we present ideas matters as much as the ideas themselves. Today, we need principles—not just to navigate innovation, but to align competing interests and break free from the limitations of past practices.

Intent alone is not enough—we must actively design systems that prevent misinterpretation, reinforce fairness, and challenge inherited biases. Otherwise, we risk reinforcing the very problems we seek to solve.

This chaos we see is not an obstacle—it is evolution in action. The real question is: Will we resist it, or will we work together to shape it into something meaningful?

We are actively working to develop the public infrastructure we call the Digital Freeway—an open, interoperable foundation to foster the learning-to-earning marketplace for the billions in this world who will need lifelong learning and the bridges it offers to greater opportunities.

If you believe in building this shared digital infrastructure, now is the time to act. Join groups that share this vision—organizations that are actively working to create a better, more integrated system:

?? DSU (Data Standards United) – Supporting innovation in digital skills recognition and career pathways founded and supported by:

?? PESC ( Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council ) – Advocating for interoperable data standards

?? A4L ( Access 4 Learning Community ) – Promoting secure and accessible student data exchange

?? 1EdTech ( 1EdTech Consortium formerly IMS Global) – Advancing digital learning standards for education and workforce systems

?? Credential Engine – Increasing transparency in learning credentials and workforce alignment

?? HR Open – Standardizing workforce data to bridge education and employment

These organizations and initiatives need your support—whether you’re a leader, innovator, or someone who believes in building something that lasts.

Join the movement. Let’s orchestrate the future, together.

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