What is education aiming at; what capabilities or competences should the next generation develop in education and schools? Knowledge about the global and national situations is enacted in the local environment out of understanding, meaningfulness, and possibilities among other things. The paper moves between “big data” and “small data” by using results from empirical studies in a Nordic context, made between 2009-2017 involving school leaders, superintendents and local politicians (Nihlfors & Johansson, 2015; Moos, Nihlfors & Paulsen 2016). Our findings show examples from schools and school owners that can be categorized into the “outcome discourse” and others in the “bildung discourse” (Moos 2017). In-between we found municipalities that we named “good enough”. “Good enough” can be characterized by schools situated in a smaller community (can be part of a bigger municipality) where more people are leaving the place than moving into it etc. We found a tension or a conflict between contributing to that young people should stay or to see them leave for to continue studying. This is rarely pronounced. A result that is visible in some places is that boys stay while the girls move (Leijsne, 2017). These places show clearly that the purpose of schooling is subordinated the survival of the community. This leads us to a discussion about who, where and when are visions and the purpose of education seriously debated as a question deep imbedded in the local school’s surroundings? How interested, willing or capable/competent are different stakeholders (teachers, school leaders, politicians, citizens, business community etc.) to meet the demands in the local community to improve outcomes or/and support bildung? Are these different approaches (outcomes and bildung) compatible? (Nihlfors et al 2016; Moos et al 2016). This is partly a matter of relationship and power division between politicians - professionals, but it is also a question of the school's position and function in a sustainable, long-term view of how to develop both small and big societies (Kemp 2005). What is it in the local context, when it comes to leadership that makes a change in facing wicked problems?

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