The overall thesis is that a new kind of leadership in education is required in the 21st-century, particularly in the context of what many critical observers have labeled the "culture of fear" or "culture of violence." The ongoing terrorism and counter-terrorism in the world, especially since September 11, 2001 and the American-led "War on Terror(ism)," have greatly impacted the author's thinking about everything. After watching the popular science fiction film The Matrix (1999), it became evident that this dissertation was going to be directed and shaped by the film's characters and narrative. The problem and question that this dissertation explores is "What is the 'Fear' Matrix?" This attempts to legitimize the question and the ongoing "answers" as having curricular and pedagogical relevance, especially for educational leadership development.