Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Leader
ACADEMIC
February 2010
A MAGNA PUBLICATION
Featuring 13 articles from Academic Leader this special report seeks to answer that question and
provide guidance for anyone in a campus leadership role.
For example, in the article “Leadership and Management: Complementary Skill Sets,” Donna Goss
and Don Robertson, explain the differences between management and leadership, and share their
thoughts on how to develop leadership skills in yourself and others.
In “Zen and the Art of Higher Education Administration,” author Jeffrey L. Buller shows how the
Buddhist practice features many principles for daily life that could benefit academic leaders. Such
advice includes “Walk gently, leaving tracks only where they can make a difference.”
In “Techniques of Leadership,” authors Isa Kaftal Zimmerman and Joan Thormann outline specific
leadership skills for effectively running meetings, building consensus, and communicating across
the institution.
The article “A Formal Approach to Facilitating Change” explains how Northwestern University’s
Office of Change Management is structured as well as its operating principles for effectively
managing change at the university. The key is to articulate how a change can benefit those directly
affected and others not directly affected, to be accountable, and to provide clear criteria for
measuring success
Academic leadership roles are constantly changing. We hope this report will help you be a more
effective leader during these challenging times.
Rob Kelly
Editor
Academic Leader
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
2
Table of Contents
Techniques of Leadership ............................................................................................................................................4
Leader
ACAD
EMIC
THE
NEW
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ACAD
Collabo IC D E EM
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By Anita
Hulme,
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engths pment
This is par
not just
off-site ses D evelopm
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about lea one of a two-part
collabora g through stre article ser
courses
exercises
and “gettinsions with ropes
.” Nor g to know ent
tion. In ies
ngths-ori you overly
is it a top self-criti
this first ent requiring -down app cal nor
and Hu article, He ed int Rather,
lme while pro erdepartment roach the naively
collabora provide the con nck viding rew al projec about the y are honest wi hopeful.
tiv tex laboratio ts th
with self e leadership mo t for this n. ards for
required that “…
mselves”
(p. 40). themselves
-aw del informed Rather, it requir col- to
Strengths areness and self , beginning understa es a rich group, … guide the emoti ey advise
Th
identifica -manage character nding of and on
will be dis tio ment. isti on sense of leaders must firs al tone of a
cussed as n and developm ability to cs, traits, and pas e’s innate the ir own dir t have a
more pro a tool for ent ma ties…” sure
du developin a heighten nage those abi sions; an (G ections
(next mo ctive view of one ga ed sense lities thr awarene oleman et al., p. and priori-
nth self gence; an of emoti ough ss 32). Sel
importan ’s issue), they wi . In Part II d onal int the develo is an important f-
ce ll and value a driving desire elli first step
practical of other-awarenes address the the other’ to under - ship, as pment of collab in
impleme s an d look at W ith ou s per spective. stand it ha s considera ora tiv e leader
building nta t these ess individu
a strengt tion issues in building ential ele al ble im -
hs-orient , it me dividual behavior and the pact on
ed team. the trust becomes diffic nts of team contributi value of
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
3
Techniques of time, asking everyone attending the meeting to speak—
can eliminate repetitive comments and “monopoliz-
ers,” as well as offer reticent members a chance to
Leadership •
contribute.
Forming subcommittees with volunteers is a good
By Isa Kaftal Zimmerman, EdD, and Joan way to work on business that requires more time than
Thormann, PhD is available during the meeting. Committee members
report aloud at meetings of the whole group to
encourage input and ownership.
uring our combined 90 years in education, we have
D
• Summarizing at the end of the meeting what needs
observed and worked with leaders who have to be done and what agreements were reached ensures
inspired us and many of our colleagues to work understanding about who has the responsibility for
“hard and smart.” In many of those instances, we and our future action.
colleagues exceeded both our goals and expectations. We • Following through on all agreed-upon actions with
have also observed and worked with leaders who are “chal- those who have offered to act ensures follow-through,
lenged,” and as a result, the performance of those being led including for those outside the group who need to be
was not as good as it might have been. involved in the action. The responsibility of follow-up
The skills we describe below constitute a set of concrete rests primarily with the leader.
actions that the educational leaders we admire have used • Carrying over unresolved items to the agenda of the
to induce us to succeed. We have focused on three areas next meeting is the responsibility of everyone
that all leaders engage in: calling and running meetings, involved, but usually the task devolves on the leader. A
building consensus, and communicating across their insti- responsible leader tracks the issues to ensure resolu-
tutions. Educational leaders may wish to use our sugges- tion and reports on items taken care of outside the
tions to consider their own behavior and activity and to meeting.
reflect on whether these ideas might help them improve
their performance as leaders. At the same time, leaders 2. Building consensus
may find confirmation of their own leadership skills. This • Listening to each person and encouraging open
list applies at all levels, whether the person is a university debate. People need to feel heard and understood, and
president or the head of a department. minority opinions need to be expressed. Creating a safe
environment to express dissident ideas can lead to
Leadership behaviors in operational context better solutions. One way to do this is to establish
ground rules—and follow them. For example, if it is
1. Calling and running meetings explained that one should not be judgmental during a
• Getting buy-in for agendas is necessary preparation brainstorming session, people are more likely to say
for conducting effective meetings. Good leaders discuss what is on their minds rather than censor their
the agenda with the members of their group. They thoughts.
include items needed to advance the work of the or- • Recognizing each person’s strengths and weak-
ganization and to meet the needs of the members. One nesses. Delegating work based on an individual’s
strategy is asking the attendees for input; another is es- strengths will make the leader’s and the group’s tasks
tablishing volunteer planning groups for specific easier, more rewarding, and more likely to reflect what
meetings or topics so members can see that their the group thinks is the correct action. It is unwise to
concerns, issues, and interests are reflected in the delegate work to people who do not have the capacity
agenda of the meeting. to be successful doing it.
• Sending agendas in a timely fashion allows attendees • Rewarding people is a concrete sign of appreciation
to prepare for the meeting and prevents surprise by that builds respect and makes people willing to work
unanticipated issues during the meeting. This kind of harder and feel good about the task and the leadership.
behavior is both respectful and productive. While the No-cost or low-cost examples include publicly thanking
meaning of the word “timely” will undoubtedly vary individuals for their work, giving an award or certifi-
with context, it is rarely true that it will mean “at the cate, and asking them to speak about and/or present
PAGE 5
time of the meeting.”
• Using the round-robin strategy—that is, from time to
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
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FROM PAGE 4 Conclusion
For any initiative, whether new or revitalized, to go
their work.
forward, the group needs to support the leader, and the
• Being truthful while recognizing allegiance up and
leader needs to respect and incorporate ideas and concerns
down the chain of command is a leader’s task. Leaders
from his or her constituents. These simple yet crucial sug-
need to be diplomatic and responsible in how they
gestions translate theory into practice in a way that any
speak about what they have been asked to do. They
leader can use in his or her leadership repertoire.
also need to be tactful when sharing information and
explaining the work of their group to those above. This
Isa Kaftal Zimmerman is a senior fellow at UMass
balance needs to be based on honesty and trust so that
Donahue Institute at University of Massachusetts President’s
each level feels understood and supported.
Office. Joan Thormann is a professor in the Technology in
• Socializing periodically allows everyone to feel part of
Education program at Lesley University’s School of
the group. The leader should occasionally bring
Education. ●
everyone together in a social context. Doing so is likely
to create a strong sense of affiliation and group
cohesion and will contribute to the productivity of the
group.
3. Communicating
A Formal Approach to
• Acknowledging the receipt of a communiqué and re-
sponding to it is a sign of respect. There is nothing
more annoying than sending a note and not knowing if
Facilitating Change
it was received. Needless to say, the leader should By Rob Kelly
follow up on the content of the communication as well
as acknowledge it. n 2000, Northwestern University created the Office of
• Thanking a colleague in writing helps to create a
positive atmosphere in the workplace. People often
remember and value a thank-you note more than an
evaluation document.
I Change Management “to facilitate organizational
change at Northwestern University, working in collabo-
ration with academic and administrative leaders, faculty,
and staff to support Northwestern’s core research and
• Sharing information lets people know they can rely on teaching mission.” In a conversation with Academic
getting “the word” from their leader. Not having to Leader, Jake Julia, associate vice president for change man-
guess about an outcome or event or hear it “on the agement, discussed the structure and nature of this office
street” contributes to a collegial and inclusive environ- and offered advice on how to facilitate change.
ment. In addition to Julia, the Office of Change Management
• “Dipsticking” should be used by the leader periodi- currently consists of two directors, a project director, and a
cally by meeting individually with group members, just program assistant. Unlike similar structures at other institu-
to check in. For the health of the group, it is important tions, the office is not an internal cost center and does not
to enable any group member to vent to the leader charge an internal fee to other units within the university.
privately. It is also important to encourage all group Rather, it serves as a resource to the university, focusing
members to provide honest feedback about the leader’s primarily on “institutional or high-level organizational
own behavior and practices. Doing so can result in the change,” issues that cross traditional academic and admin-
leader’s own growth and development. istrative lines, Julia says.
• Newsletters can feature such things as people’s accom- The office gets most of its projects from the provost or
plishments, items of interest, coming attractions, and senior vice president for business and finance; however,
important announcements. Newsletters are useful to other administrators can make requests as well. “If a dean
support those who are performing well, encourage or vice president would come to us and say, ‘I have
others to reach for higher performance, and develop something that I would really like you to work with us on,’
and maintain institutional history. Newsletters also we would sit down and make sure it fits with our mission.
build bonds and belonging. If it does, we’ll put it in our queue,” Julia says. A Change
PAGE 6
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
5
FROM PAGE 5 have it be impactful … [T]rying to go around people
generally doesn’t work.”
Management Advisory Group, composed of deans, faculty, • Look to peer institutions/units for benchmarking.
and staff, helps link the office with the needs of the univer- “We benchmark almost every initiative that we do.
sity. That gives us an idea of what other folks are doing. I
Julia stresses that the role of his office is not to impose think it’s very important for people, when doing bench-
change, but to assist by facilitating the conversations that marking, to pick the right set of benchmarks.”
are critical to articulating and implementing change initia-
tives. The degree of resistance to change depends largely on
“We’ve been able to provide units with neutrality. We the project. “Sometimes the resistance comes from people
don’t have an agenda. We don’t have a position on gover- not understanding what needs to happen and what the
nance or curricula-type issues, and we can help them raise outcomes are going to be. There’s a natural tendency for
issues and facilitate the discussion,” Julia says. people to like the status quo. They can be brilliant people.
Julia operates according to the following principles when If you’ve done things a certain way for two, five, or ten
working to manage change at Northwestern: years, having to contemplate doing it a different way isn’t
• Define, in writing, exactly what change you want. always easy. Just last week I heard, ‘Why change? We’ve
People may have a sense that change is necessary, but always done it this way.’ We’ve got to move beyond that. If
they need to get beyond that by articulating what we’re going to be in a leadership position, whether it’s
needs to be changed and how things will be when the within our institution or within a group of institutions,
change is implemented. “In a sense, it’s understanding chances are we aren’t going to be able to stay the same if
the mission—which is an overused word. I’m talking we’re going to be viable in this economy,” Julia says.
about something a little more tangible, having a really The key, according to Julia, is to articulate how a change
strong idea about where you are now and where you can benefit those directly affected and others not directly
want to be. The idea is to sit down and say, ‘How do I affected, to be accountable, and to provide clear criteria for
get from A to B?’” measuring success. ●
• Identify roadblocks or potential roadblocks. “Are
there key faculty blocs that we might not be aware of
that would strongly oppose this change? Articulating
that and talking about that up front helps people un-
derstand how to craft a strategy to actually effect the
change.”
10 Recommendations
• Understand the institutional culture and context.
“What are the core values that keep people together
toward Effective
and make people want to work together on an ongoing
basis? If you go into a unit or if you’re in a unit and
you try to make a change that is totally contrary to all
Leadership
the shared values in an organization, then it can
happen. But it makes it much more difficult. We try to By Willis M. Watt, PhD
get people to articulate some of the intangibles up front
before they get going.” avid W. Leslie, chancellor professor of education at
• Understand how far and how fast you can go. “A lot
of times people get really impatient, and they will want
to make changes in two weeks. There are times when
you have to do that, but there are other times when
D the College of William and Mary, notes that
“colleges and universities have presented leadership
conundrums…from the most varied perspectives…Yet this
vast trove of purported wisdom remains somehow unsatis-
you say, ‘If I really want this change to be impactful, fying and desperately random” (Wergin, 2007, p. xv). That
and I want to stay in place once I’m done, maybe it is to say, despite all that has been written about leadership,
will take a little bit more time.’ That time should be the question still remains: What does it take to be an
used to help develop your networks to help get people effective leader?
involved to help lay things out, to get people thinking At the risk of being redundant, I wish to share 10 recom-
about it. Rarely can you go in and surprise somebody
and say, ‘We’re going to change this tomorrow’ and PAGE 7
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
6
FROM PAGE 6 degree conflicts occur because people are not able to
differentiate between task-related conflict issues and
mendations that I am convinced enhance an individual’s their personal investment in a given situation. Bracey,
ability to be an effective leader. These principles are based Rosenblum, Sanford, and Trueblood (1990) point out
on the concept of “leading in place” as recently popular- the importance of truthfulness in leadership. Yet at the
ized by Wergin and Shapiro. Shapiro (2005) states, same time the leader must compassionately tell the
“Leadership is an action, not a title, and the ability to lead truth (e.g., about a faculty member’s job performance,
can be found in every person. Each of us must claim our etc.).
authority to lead at the right time and in the right place” Number 3: Listen. Communication plays a vital role in
(p. 1). the achievement of interpersonal and organizational
Here are 10 characteristics that I have found to positively goals. Communication is a two-way process. Effective
contribute to effective emergent leadership. My suggestions communication requires leaders capable of effective
are presented in a David Letterman–ish style, beginning
with the least and advancing to the most important.
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
7
FROM PAGE 7
A
must be compelled to lead no matter the personal cost.
Hills State University are feeling the impact of some
In closing, allow me to point out that these characteris- major changes at the institutional, state, and
tics are not some magic formula for success, nor do they national level. The changes mean a more complicated and
serve as a 10-step program like the A.A. 12-step recovery labor-intensive position that leaves less and less time for
program; but when you adopt these characteristics and teaching and scholarship.
their underlying principles, I am certain that you will be a The biggest changes at BHSU, according to Holly
more effective leader. Downing, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, are
I agree with David W. Leslie, chancellor professor of • a move toward merit-based faculty evaluation,
education, that there has been a lot of thinking, theorizing, • an increased emphasis on faculty research since the
and writing about leadership. Yet I am convinced that we university’s mission changed from that of a normal
should continue to explore what constitutes effective lead- school to that of a comprehensive university,
ership. In doing so it may be that we can bring greater • a changing social climate in which students seem in-
clarity to what it takes to lead effectively. creasingly willing to appeal grades and file grievances,
Based on what I have shared, I do not pretend that I have and more willingness on everybody’s part to sue each
answered the question of what it takes to be an effective other, increasing scrutiny from accrediting agencies and
leader. Hopefully, however, by sharing my thoughts about the government.
leading in place, I have added to the wisdom of literature
concerning effective leadership. Merit-based review
These characteristics are based on my leading in place Fifteen years ago, institutions such as BHSU and the
for more than 30 years in the academic community. Let me University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (Downing’s previous
encourage you to take action, to claim your authority to institution) didn’t emphasize faculty scholarly work, and
lead when the time comes, in the right place. faculty members could expect salary increases across the
board after fairly informal annual evaluations.
References With the move to merit-based salary increases, annual
Bracey, H., Rosenblum, J., Sanford, A., & Trueblood, R. evaluations have become much more important to the
(1990). Managing from the heart. Atlanta: Heart faculty, and chairs have to be more systematic in their eval-
Enterprises. uations. Complicating these evaluations is the likelihood
Covey, S.R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people: that a chair will serve only a limited time and eventually
Powerful lessons in personal change. New York: Simon & return to a regular faculty position. This responsibility
Shuster. combined with only temporary authority can put chairs in
Shapiro, P. (2005). Too many leaders?...or do we use the an awkward position of having to evaluate their peers,
term “leader” too freely? News & Tools Leadership, 1(2), which can make chairs feel intimidated or bullied by their
1-2. colleagues and actually fear giving an honest negative eval-
Wergin, J.F. (2007) (Ed.). Leadership in place: How uation.
academic professionals can find their leadership voice. “We haven’t gotten into the situation in which I’ve had
Boston: Anker. anybody intimidated by the job and thought of going back
Goldhaber, G.M. (1993). Organizational communication to the faculty after they are done, but I can see the
(6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. potential for that,” Downing says.
To safeguard against the potential problems of merit-
PAGE 9
Willis M. Watt is the director of organizational communi-
cation and leadership at Methodist University. ●
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
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FROM PAGE 8 growing number of legal issues.
When Downing was chair at her previous institution, she
based faculty evaluation, such as arbitrary evaluations, felt underprepared for many issues, some of which the
BHSU has clear evaluation criteria, and ultimately, the vice school could have been sued over if she made a mistake.
president for academic affairs determines the final rankings Seven years later, Downing sees the legal environment
for teaching, research, and service. becoming more complex and contentious. “What I see is a
This is not to say that all departments evaluate faculty in trend toward students increasingly willing to appeal grades
an identical manner. Department-specific criteria allow and file grievances, and faculty are less likely to put up
faculty to have a sense of self-determination. “Each depart- with colleagues who are rude to them. And there seems to
ment came up with very different systems for evaluation, be more willingness on everybody’s part to sue each other,
even at a little school like [BHSU],” Downing says.
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
9
Hope-Centered with others, with a focus on nurturing these connec-
tions.
2.Take time to uphold and revisit affirming memories.
Leadership in Practice One tool that could be used for this purpose is the “joy
journal,” a daily diary about positive things that is
By Kaye A. Herth, PhD, RN, FAAN reviewed regularly.
3.Set aside time to pause, read, and reflect on priorities
in your life that can become skewed by job pressures.
here are many books about leadership; however,
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
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FROM PAGE 10 meetings with lighthearted, hope-filled messages. Find
ways to give joyful surprises that reflect each individ-
inviting others to tell their stories (personal and/or pro- ual’s uniqueness. Recently I gave each of the depart-
fessional). Set aside time to meet individually with the ment chairs at my college a book that reflected him or
members of your team to listen to their stories. Start her. For example, I gave the book Death by Meeting to
meetings with a 10-minute period that focuses on indi- someone who disliked meetings intensely and the book
viduals sharing experiences in their lives. Actively Managing People Is Like Herding Cats to someone who
listen with both your ears and your eyes. Set aside 30 is in charge of ensuring that numerous tasks are
minutes a day to communicate appreciation to those completed by highly independent persons.
you work with and 15 minutes daily to give extra en-
couragement to those who need it. Hope-centered leadership not only may be crucial to
• Providing an atmosphere of openness that celebrates creating and sustaining a healthy and highly productive
new possibilities and new ways of doing things and work environment, but also shows promise in creating
that encourages those you lead to express their fears, hopeful and effective leaders for the future.
questions, and ideas. Hope-centered leaders include
others in goal setting and in constructing stepwise References
goals, developing alternatives, and celebrating small Adams, V., Snyder, C., Sigman, D., and Pulvers, K.
steps along the way toward achieving the goals. (2002). “Hope in the workplace.” In Giacolone, R. and
• Sharing hope stories and offering hope suggestions— Jurkiewicz, C. (eds.), Workplace Spirituality and
critical actions, as hope is a contagious reality and Organization Performance. New York: Sharpe.
needs to be shared. It is important to point out signs of Eliott, J. (ed.) (2005). Interdisciplinary Perspectives on
hope, to emphasize potential rather than limitations, Hope. New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
and to provide encouragement and delight in hopes Helland, M., and Winston, B. (Winter 2005). “Toward a
expressed. This can be done in a number of ways, deeper understanding of hope and leadership.” Journal of
including online posting progress toward goals along Leadership and Organizational Studies, 12(2), 42–53.
with current and past successes and hopeful stories for Herth, K. (2007). “Leadership from a hope paradigm.”
others to see, as well as sending short, hope-filled Leadership, 14(1), 10–19.
email messages. Luthans, B. (2005). “The proposed contagion effect of
• Encouraging hope images and hope models. Model the hopeful leaders on the resiliency of employees and organi-
way by example and by simple daily acts that create zations.” Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies,
progress and momentum. Connect individuals to 12(2), 55–65.
hopeful successful colleagues so they can see and ex- Peterson, S. and Luthans, F. (2003). “The positive impact
perience how hope is linked to success. and development of hopeful leaders.” Leadership and
• Building hope bridges—a crucial process, as hope has Organization Development Journal, 24(1), 26–31.
been shown to be experienced in the present but is Snyder, C., Feldman, D., Taylor, J., Schroeder, L, and
also linked to the past and the future. Help make that Adams, S. (2000). “The roles of hopeful thinking in pre-
link by posting on bulletin boards or in newsletters venting problems and enhancing strengths.” Applied and
past successes and future visions, including a step-by- Preventive Psychology, 15, 262–295.
step timeline for your current goal or project along Snyder, C., and Lopez, S. (2006). Positive Psychology:
with markers placed as you move forward toward com- The Scientific and Practical Explorations of Human
pletion. Help others develop the art of hopeful patience Strengths. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications.
(refining your goals as circumstances change or as you
change). Hope is paradoxical; it is neither passive Dr. Kaye A. Herth is dean of the College of Allied Health
waiting nor unrealistic forcing of circumstances that and Nursing at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She
cannot occur. has extensive clinical, teaching, and administrative experi-
• Sharing and fostering an attitude of lightheartedness. ence at universities and in acute and community health
Lightheartedness enhances receptivity, reduces resist- care settings. Her research has focused on hope, humor, and
ance, and enables us to stand aside from things, which grief in individuals with a chronic or terminal illness, as
then engages hope. Collect and display joyful and well as the impact on their families and significant others;
humorous cartoons, stories, and other material on in homeless families and children; and in those with leader-
bulletin boards and in other places. Begin group ship roles. ●
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
11
Becoming a More Some of the skills of being a more mindful leader are
basic “Communication 101” skills such as acknowledging
others’ ideas by saying, “What I hear you saying is . . .”
Mindful Leader nodding, maintaining eye contact, or asking for more infor-
mation, Richman says.
But mindful leadership goes well beyond giving the im-
By Rob Kelly pression of being a good listener. It also requires that you
become more reflective about your communication and the
messages you get from others.
ow do you come across to the people you work
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
12
Creating a Culture of that other sectors struggled with twenty, thirty, even a
hundred years ago in terms of what is the appropriate cur-
riculum for leadership development. I think, in general,
Leadership academics become experts in particular areas and that’s the
world they live in, and leadership isn’t a part of that,
although it’s changing.”
By Rob Kelly Hammer cites as evidence the growth in the number of
graduate leadership programs as well as the increasing
emphasis on leadership within a wide range of disciplines
epartment chairs are too conservative in their
the institutions, says Ken Hammer, professor in the depart- Start with yourself
ment of recreation and tourism management at Malaspina In order to be an effective leader, leaders need to be self-
University-College in Nanaimo, British Columbia and a reflective, Hammer says. “The model I believe in is where
leadership consultant. you start with leading yourself, understanding yourself and
Hammer, a former department chair, was recently given the competencies of leading others and an organization. I
two course releases through his institution’s Teaching and think we can learn a lot from the leadership literature
Learning Centre to explore ways to develop leadership on outside [academia]. We just need to take it into the context
campus and has found that department chairs and coordi- of higher education.”
nators received little recognition for their roles as leaders
and often downplay their influence. “When I started to use Linking theory to reality
the word ‘leadership,’ they were very apprehensive about The leadership literature can provide a foundation for
that, suggesting that ‘Well, no, I’m just the keeper of the effective leadership, guiding leaders to develop certain com-
keys. I’m charged with several tasks and functions, but I’m petencies (such as effective communication and collabora-
not really a leader.’ They felt that they didn’t come into the tion skills and organizational abilities), but they must also
system to [be leaders]. My strong belief is that we all have be given the chance to link the theory to their specific situa-
leadership potential and lead at one time or another,” tions by attending retreats, workshops, and conferences.
Hammer says. “People need to see progress. We can’t just have
One of Hammer’s goals is to get chairs and coordinators classroom development where you bring people into a
to see themselves as leaders rather than temporary func- room, show them a little leadership theory, and say, ‘Go out
tionaries. “I try to get them to understand that they and be a leader.’ It doesn’t work that way. We have to have
influence the direction of the program and the department, effective leadership where we’re exploring these things,
and have influence on the faculty. They can guide the putting these ideas into practice, and actually changing
vision and direction of the program and set priorities. They attitudes and behaviors,” Hammer says.
also have a direct influence on students. They’re modeling
their behaviors, and their leadership influences what the Beyond positional leadership
students see and even their behavior,” Hammer says. Hammer stresses that leadership is not limited to people
The key to this cultural shift is attaching leadership devel- in certain positions. “I think we have to start to understand
opment to an organizational need. “Most people don’t par- that leadership is not necessarily from positional power but
ticipate in leadership development because they think it from the power of influence. We’re all in influential roles,
feels good. They participate because it is attached to but chairs are probably in more of an influential role
something the organization needs or it is attached to an because of access to information due to functions that
area of scholarship,” Hammer says. they’re engaged in. Rather than suggesting that now that
Exposing leaders to leadership research can elevate the they’re in a particular position and have particular power,
status of leadership on campus and even encourage them to [faculty] need to understand they too are in influential
conduct leadership research themselves, Hammer says. positions. Shared leadership is very important,” Hammer
The leadership literature outside higher education is more says.
advanced than that in higher education, Hammer says.
“[Higher education] is struggling with some of the things PAGE 14
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13
FROM PAGE 13 Nashville, Tennessee. “What you’re talking about is getting
people to accept risk, and risk is a difficult thing for folks
in higher education,” she says.
Part of getting others to lead is helping them see the Williams recommends combining change theory and per-
benefits they can provide to the institution as well as suasion techniques—a compelling change process and inte-
what’s in it for them. “When people see there’s value in it grative bargaining—to “let people understand that their
for themselves personally, they tend to buy in. If they don’t interests are going to be met.”
see that, if someone is saying, ‘You have to do this; you In a recent change initiative, leaders at Belmont used a
have to come to this retreat,’ they’re not going to be there,” “Change Cycle” process based on the work of John Kotter.
Hammer says. The Change Cycle includes the following steps:
• Establish a sense of urgency: Why is the change
Take advantage of changing demographics necessary? Belmont’s former president sought input
As more and more baby boomers retire, there will be an from students to illustrate the need for changes to the
opportunity to change the leadership culture, Hammer core curriculum.
says. “Higher education is going to have this major shift, • Build a guiding coalition: How do you put together a
and so the timing is right for us to address leadership and group with power to lead the change initiative? “One of
prepare faculty members to become chairs, deans, and vice the most disastrous things to do is to send forth a small
presidents. I’m not saying that the next generation is all group that will focus on the change initiative but that
fired up about moving into leadership positions, but I think doesn’t have the power to enact it,” Williams says.
the traditional management style will shift to one of more • Create a powerful vision: “Here’s how things will look
empowerment for everyone to take the lead, and [colleges once we’ve accomplished this change,” Williams says.
and universities] will certainly be flatter organizations and
I hope more accepting of a leadership culture.” To this change cycle, Williams adds elements that help
To prepare for this demographic shift and bring about a her and others understand the change process, including a
culture of leadership, institutions need to select new faculty force field diagram that lists all the driving and restraining
members based in part on their leadership experience and forces that affect the proposed change. “As you do this
potential. Hammer recommends conducting behavior-based work, you’re planning and creating short-term wins. You
interviews to assess candidates’ leadership aptitude. ● say, ‘What can we do to ameliorate this particular part of
the plan that people are [resisting]?’”
One technique that Williams found to be particularly
useful in a recent change initiative was putting the most
Understand Change vocal opponent to the change on the change team “because
we knew if we didn’t, the team could be sabotaged.”
Throughout a change initiative, it is important to have
Theory, Persuasion to short-term wins—small, visible, positive changes that show
people that the initiative is progressing. For example, recent
Manage Change changes to Belmont’s core curriculum began with creating
curriculum around a common book as part of the first-year
experience. “The students loved it for the most part. It
By Rob Kelly created an early win for the general education curriculum
that was very positive,” Williams says.
There was broad involvement from all ranks in all de-
hen faced with yet another change initiative,
W
partments across campus on the core curriculum change
faculty and staff will inevitably ask, “Why do we initiative. This gave everybody the opportunity to make
need to change?” To bring about change success- their opinions known and to ensure that everybody under-
fully, you need to be prepared to answer this question and stood the goals whether or not they agreed with them. This
offer a compelling vision and a process that encourages opened the door to negotiation. “For some, [the curriculum
input from those affected by the proposed change. changes] may mean understanding that one of their
The key to implementing change is negotiation, says options is to teach a course differently in a different format.
PAGE 15
Susan Williams, professor of management in the Jack C.
Massey College of Business at Belmont University in
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FROM PAGE 17 talent and providing stretch assignments will not get the
job done. Mentoring needs to become the responsibility of
managers, and enrollment managers for public, community more leaders and managers.
college, and private institutions. From those experiences I The benefits of more pronounced, common, and
have come to understand some key principles of effective effective mentoring are many. There will be increased pro-
long-run mentoring. ductivity. There will be increased capacity to both acceler-
For mentoring to be effective, the mentee must seek a ate change and an increased capacity to respond to
mentor relationship. There must be a strong desire for turnover. Administrators will stay in place longer and
professional development. However, mentors must be con- increase their capacities to build effective management
stantly on the lookout for signals of true desire to be teams. Most important, succession in institutional leader-
mentored. These requests are often not directly expressed. ship will be made far easier and continuity in strategic di-
If nonverbal cues and other signals are not acted upon and rections will be far better assured.
supported before the mentee’s personal efficacy is secure,
then the potential relationship is likely to be lost. Henry W. Smorynski is provost at the College of Saint
Successful mentoring is very much a real-time and ongoing Benedict/Saint John’s University in Minnesota. ●
process.
Some important aspects of successful mentoring include
the following:
• Higher education mentoring must be concerned with
establishing an inside-outside sense of change.
Attention must be focused on national trends and their
Leadership and
local impacts.
• The whole person’s development must be mentored,
Management:
not just the organizational self-interest.
• Mentoring must communicate a comfort level with Complementary Skill
deciding in favor of the future in a real-time environ-
ment of risk and uncertainty.
• The mentor’s personal characteristics, vision, and
Sets
communication style are far more important than the By Rob Kelly
characteristics of a formal program.
• Mentoring must be done with confidence. Cloning is
An interview with Donna Goss and Don Robertson, co-
not mentoring. The mentor must honestly grapple with
directors of the Leadership Development Institute at
differences in values, behaviors, and experiences Northampton Community College.
between the mentor and mentees.
• Mentoring should be for higher education and the anagement is a big part of what academic leaders
whole organization, and go beyond succession
planning.
• Mentoring should occur in natural settings more than
formal settings. Always be on the lookout for opportu-
M do on a daily basis—managing budgets, dealing
with personnel matters, scheduling courses,
etc.—but being a true leader demands a more visionary
perspective than the day-to-day management tasks. To
nities and settings to mentor. better understand this relationship between management
• Mentors should communicate the importance of envi- and leadership, Academic Leader recently spoke with
ronmental scanning, systems thinking, and risk taking Donna Goss and Don Robertson, co-directors of the
in problem identification and solving. Leadership Development Institute at Northampton
Community College.
In Good to Great, author Jim Collins stresses that 90
percent of companies that went from “good” to “great” What is the difference between management and leader-
had new leaders from inside. Very few innovative institu- ship?
tions are examining the value of succession planning, Robertson: For us, the most important thing is recogniz-
executive development, and mentoring together for
effective transitions of power and authority. Identifying PAGE 19
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18
FROM PAGE 18 yourself and gain some insight about yourself—what is my
passion? What is it that excites me? What is it that makes
ing that although they are both important, they are me become defensive and gets in the way of my effective-
different. [Leadership] is focused on where we are going— ness?
what new future possibility do we want to pursue? For The biggest challenge we find in working in an organiza-
leadership there is this aspect of the future and getting tion is the fact that they’re so busy managing the day to
people excited about this new possibility, whereas day that they don’t make the time to step back and think
managing is more about the present. It’s more about about the kinds of things they could be doing.
planning and organizing and controlling and coordinating Goss: One of the things I would tend to say to a leader
and setting up budgets and putting in place to-do lists but, that might be emerging is to ask, Are you finding yourself
it’s all focused on what we are going to do right now. being selected for committees over and over again? Are you
Goss: Leadership is about altering what people think is finding yourself in leaderships positions on those commit-
possible and appropriate. Leadership is about taking people tees? Why are you taking those positions? And I would
to a new and different place. … Leadership is a choice you suggest it has something to do with some natural abilities
make. And we think effective leaders will use themselves beginning to surface.
as tools to make changes. Robertson: Leadership is not a position you hold, it’s a
choice that you make. You may have somebody who is a
You work with academic and business leaders. What dif- chairman of a committee or head of a department, and yet
ferences are there between leadership development in they’re terrible leaders. And you could have others in the
higher education and business?
middle of the organization who demonstrate leadership all
Goss: I don’t think it differs all that much. Don and I
the time, perhaps because of their ability to relate to others,
came out of business into the academic world, and we
the relationships they build, their willingness to ask
sometimes joke with clients that you haven’t lived until
difficult questions, their willingness to offer ideas. But
you try to put business thinking into an academic setting.
there’s also something about them that engages people,
… One of the biggest differences is how business and
and it’s easy for people to be comfortable with them.
academic institutions hire at the senior level. [Higher
education institutions] tend to put the organization in What is the way to go about teaching leadership?
turmoil as they go on a two-year search, whereas in the Goss: Don and I use the work of Jim Kouzes and Barry
business world it’s a little bit simpler to do. Posner, which is The Leadership Challenge. We use that
particular research to build a program that is personal—
What are some of the skills that someone from the
who are you, and what’s important to you? How do you get
faculty brings to management and leadership?
comfortable in your skin? How do you get to an authentic
Goss: One of the things I think is the natural tendency in
place that you lead from? Two leaders in the same organi-
higher education to debate, question, and challenge. It’s
zation need to share the passion for the [organization’s]
part of what makes an academic institution what it is. Here
vision, but they also need to speak to it in a way that’s be-
on our campus it is not unusual to go toe-to-toe with the
lievable. I think leadership can be taught. While I say that I
president. The problem is how do you take it out of just the
will also say obviously there are born leaders. There just
academic exercise of debate and move into actions?
are not a whole lot of them.
Robertson: I think that what goes hand in hand with
Robertson: I think for me it goes back to this notion that
that—and it clearly is a skill—is one’s ability to influence,
leadership is a choice because somebody can read forever
Influence is about helping people see things differently. Our
about what leadership is and go to programs where they
ability to influence, our ability to inspire people, to get
are gaining the knowledge about that, but some people
them excited about something is one of the real chal-
choose to take that knowledge and translate it into action
lenges—how do I challenge somebody in a way that tends
and others don’t. I may not be comfortable in speaking out
to get them excited rather than in a way that creates a lot
and trying to engage others and trying to take on a leader-
of defensiveness?
ship role, but I can make the choice to do that. And in a lot
of cases leaders are taking a leadership role because of
How do you develop leadership skills in yourself or
others? their willingness to go to that uncomfortable place.
Robertson: I think that a lot of leadership is about self PAGE 20
awareness. It’s the willingness to step back and look at
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FROM PAGE 19 blessing. In fact, if he were not here, it would behoove us
to go out and find one like him.” Levin (2005) 34.
We sometimes are frustrated with people who just don’t
What do you suggest for limited-term leaders? seem to “get it” or who have personality traits that seem to
Robertson: The first thing is to ask, Are we doing what’s make our work harder. When we deal with people like this,
best for the organization by having terms that are only we actually have a choice: We can either give in to our
three years long? Maybe the terms need to be longer than frustration (thus making the whole situation a negative ex-
that in order to break that cycle of just reaching the point perience), or we can try to discover why it is that the
where leaders are ready to provide some leadership and all “problem people” where we work annoy and disturb us so
of a sudden they’re stepping out of that role and a new (thus making the whole situation a learning experience).
one’s stepping in and you start the cycle all over again. The The worst administrator I ever worked for caused me
other thing that comes to mind is that there has to be endless aggravation until I suddenly learned how much I
modeling that starts at the top of the organization. One of was learning from him: No one else, before or since, ever
the most important things a leader does is set the tone for taught me so much about how not to run a college.
the rest of the organization. I think that people at the “Do things in a way that makes others feel that they did
senior-level positions need to recognize that their practices them. In this way, everything will get accomplished.” Levin
and behaviors are in fact setting the tone for the rest of the (2005) 124.
organization. Most of the successes experienced by faculty members
If a department chair tries to take a leadership role, tries are personal successes. It is usually one particular person
something and it doesn’t work and the response to it is be who got a book published, serves as principal investigator
punished then there is a very strong message—the tone has on a grant, wins an award for outstanding teaching, or
been set that says, Don’t take a risk. Go with the flow and makes the contact that opens a door for a brilliant student.
keep the status quo because that’s the safe way to make On the other hand, most of the successes experienced by
sure you get through your term and can walk out without administrators are group successes. Even if it was our
any major blemishes against your record. decision to review the general education program, it is
Goss: But what are you risking if you play it safe all the almost always a committee that develops and implements
time? ● the proposal. Even if we did most of the negotiations that
brought in a major gift, it frequently takes a team to make
the most of the new funding the institution has received.
For this reason, the sooner we as administrators begin
Zen and the Art of finding our success in the success of others (even if they
could not have achieved anything without us), the better
we will serve our institutions.
Higher Education “Walk gently, leaving tracks only where they can make a
difference. Where no difference can be made, walk without
Administration leaving tracks. This is how the sage passes through life:
unseen and invisible, yet effecting change everywhere.”
By Jeffrey L. Buller, PhD Levin (2005) 134.
Truly effective administrators learn to pick their battles.
Not every cause has to be a fight to the death. In fact, not
ne of the best books on how to be an academic
O
every issue is even worth having a strong opinion about;
leader actually has nothing to do with higher many situations in higher education will work out roughly
education administration. Daniel Levin’s The Zen the same no matter which course of action the institution
Book (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2005) is a combination of chooses. So, be sure that you take a stand where it really
introduction to Buddhist practice and guide to daily life. It matters. Strong leaders are not necessarily the people with
is also a wonderful summary of principles that are useful to the loudest voices; they’re the individuals with the most
any academic leader. Consider the following. compelling vision. And part of a compelling vision comes
Be thankful for anyone in your life who’s a problem. from your ability to incorporate the ideas and hopes of
They’re your teachers, for they show you where you truly others into your area’s overall plan. The goal, therefore, is
stand. A great saint once said to a disciple who came to
him complaining about someone else: “He is your greatest PAGE 21
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20
FROM PAGE 20 you sit, sit. This is the way of Zen. Do what you do fully in
each moment.” Levin (2005) 178.
to “lead by not leading.” In other words, rather than con- Multitasking has been elevated to the status of a modern
tinually striving to make your voice heard and to impose virtue, but it is much overrated. In most cases, when we
your ideas on others, be a catalyst for improvement by say we’re multitasking, we’re really giving each activity
creating an environment where everyone’s contributions only a fragment of the attention it deserves. As a result, we
are welcome and respected. end up being careless rather than more productive. Good
“Succeed quietly, letting everyone else believe that it was administrators are usually “sequential taskers” rather than
because of their efforts that a venture worked. At times, multitaskers: They give each project their whole attention;
you may feel unrewarded for your efforts, but you’ll always and when it is time to set it aside and move on to the next
know in your heart the value of your contributions.” Levin responsibility in sequence, they give the new project their
(2005) 147. full and undivided attention. If we continue to fixate on
decisions that have already been made or work that is
already completed, we end up getting nothing done. If fact,
Multitasking has been elevated to the status of a we act as though nothing is ever “done” since we keep
reopening closed decisions and allowing them to distract us
modern virtue, but it is much overrated. In most from our other duties.
“When we are with people, be 100 percent with them;
cases, when we say we’re multitasking, we’re when we’re by ourselves, be 100 percent alone. This is the
really giving each activity only a fragment of the way of all things: Be exactly where we are at any given
moment and everything will be without strain.” Levin
attention it deserves. As a result, we end up (2005) 197.
If multitasking is inadvisable when we are dealing with
being careless rather than more productive. projects, it’s unforgivable when we’re dealing with people.
No one wants to feel that they are receiving only a
fragment of an administrator’s attention. Many people have
As we saw earlier, administrators achieve their greatest said that one of the most remarkable things about being in
success through the achievements of others. Even beyond the presence of Jacqueline Kennedy or Bill Clinton is that,
this, however, many of the choices made by an administra- while you were speaking with them, they made you believe
tor go unnoticed because they do not have the immediate you were the most important person in the world to them.
prestige of a book that is published or a grant that is Good administrators proceed in the same way. When they
received. Many of an administrator’s accomplishments are meeting with a faculty member, student, parent, board
cannot even be measured or quantified by customary member, or other member of the institutional community,
methods of assessment. The most satisfied academic they give that person their complete and undivided
leaders are, therefore, the ones who do not rely on the attention. Often they will even give the other person the
constant recognition of others in order to achieve their time that he or she needs, not simply the time that is
sense of worth. They know the contributions they have available. By so doing, they may not achieve “enlighten-
made, and many times that knowledge is enough. ment,” but they come to be regarded as truly enlightened
“When no one is doing what you think is right, do it academic leaders.
yourself.” Levin (2005) 163.
Good administrators lead by example. They also do Jeffrey L. Buller is dean of the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors
what’s in the best interests of their institution, not because College at Florida Atlantic University. He is the author of
these actions are popular or even necessarily noticeable, The Essential Department Chair: A Practical Guide to
but because that’s what they were hired to do. It can be College Administration (2006), The Essential Academic
difficult (and extremely lonely) being the person who says Dean: A Practical Guide to College Leadership (2007), and
“no” when it is necessary for the sake of the budget. The Essential College Professor: A Practical Guide to an
Making a decision in order to achieve a long-range goal at Academic Career (forthcoming). (All are published by
the expense of a less-important, immediate pleasure can be Jossey-Bass.) ●
extremely isolating. But it is these situations that really
prove the merit of the best academic leaders.
“When you walk, walk; when you eat, eat; and when
Academic Leadership Qualities for Meeting Today’s Higher Education Challenges • www.FacultyFocus.com
21
Leader
ACADEMIC
H
igher education administration of team building. theory is rooted in the concept that self-
has traditionally followed a reflective thought affects one’s behavior.
conventional hierarchical lead- Understanding and It posits that belief in one’s capacity to
ership model. Over the last decade, it managing self produce will result in the desired effect.
has begun to transition into a more col- Foundational work must be In short, if you believe you can do
laborative approach to leadership (Kezar, done before team building can begin. something, your likelihood to succeed is
PAGE <None>
Carducci, and Contreras-McGavin, The historic words inscribed on the
2006). This is attributed both to the ancient Greek temple at Delphi—
increased number of women leaders, “Know thyself”—remain an important
with collaboration over solitude being a adage millennia later. Effective leaders
preferred style (Kezar et al., p. 76) and begin with healthy self-awareness and In This Issue
to a theoretical shift that defines leader- move to self-efficacy rooted in a positive
ship as a process and, thus, “emphasizes mind-set. The ability to manage oneself
mutuality between leader and followers” is a crucial aspect of collaborative en- 2 Discipline-Based Education
(Kezar et al., p. 76). gagement. Research
Today’s university leaders Self-awareness. Goleman,
have the opportunity to enhance the Boyatzis, and McKee (2002) write, 4 Book Excerpt: Small Group
work of staff and faculty—both in “Self-awareness means having a deep Behavior
quality and satisfaction—through inten- understanding of one’s emotions, as well
tional efforts at building a collaborative as one’s strengths and limitations and
team leadership approach. Unlike past one’s values and motives. People with 6 Creating a Center for Professional
attempts at team building, collaborative self-awareness are realistic—neither Development and Leadership
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