Calls for a social epistemology in educational administration and leadership are not new. As a field of inquiry, parallel monologues have come to dominate scholarly outlets and forums. But, parallel monologues arguably violate the logic of academic work – argument and refutation – with significant implications for the rigor and robustness of knowledge claims. This Special Issue sought to provide a forum for sustained dialogue and debate on the problems and possibilities of the relational approach that I am advancing. As the concluding paper, and a rejoinder to the contributions, here I highlight the difficulties of generating dialogue and debate and how going beyond our own complicity is challenging, but arguably rewarding, academic work