On Leadership
In the largest sense, a leader builds on the past, manages the present, imagines the future, and does all three with a commitment to a greater good. As a representative of a community, in whatever way that community is defined, an effective leader serves a larger purpose, one whose influence will contribute uniquely to the benefit of a community, its health and promise.
While making decisions that influence the direction a community heads, an effective leader does so through the inclusion, empowerment, and influence of others. Effective leadership requires commitment to a vision, and it relies on seeing people’s gifts, on helping them apply those gifts toward both their own growth and a larger, unfolding future. A good leader listens well, invests in people, and earns trust every day.
To be certain, leaders must be good managers. They and their leadership teams must plan well, use time efficiently, meet deadlines, provide excellent service, manage resources, and set priorities appropriately. They must think critically using both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Most important, leaders are agents of change. They spend time and effort both seeing and building a future they cannot dictate but can influence.
Having served in academic leadership positions at four instituitons (1989-2025), my approach evolved into addressing six roles:
Leader. In the fast-changing world that academe became, I had the responsibility to lead with a vision of a future that drew upon the established success of a program, the priorities of an institution, and developments in academe that affected curricula and staffing. Developing a vision for a program requires broad knowledge, reflection, assessment of the profession, and balance between one's own perceptions with those of others, all of which are weighed against an institution's priorities. Leading with vision also required promoting necessary change while respecting tradition.
Advocate. Actively promoting a program or institution, on and off campus; speaking compellingly of an institution’s mission in preparing students for successful lives; working effectively with current and prospective donors: all are crucial elements of the advocate’s role. Being an advocate required listening carefully to understand the needs, desires, and expectations of a constituency and then, with that knowledge, pursuing support, financial or otherwise, for those programs and their constituencies.
Facilitator. Anyone in a leadership position in academe must both accept and welcome its deliberative nature, one in which power is less hierarchical and in which individuals enjoy a high degree of autonomy. In such an environment, I sought consensus in curricular, personnel, and other non-administrative decisions. Respectful dialogue was the modus operandi in conflict resolution. As a facilitator, I strove to help people find solutions among themselves before relying on decisions by administrative authority.
Supervisor. A leader works with all members of the academic unit to set priorities and goals for their respective areas. In this supervisory role, I met regularly with both faculty and staff to assess work performed, address personnel issues as they arose, and assure that a program remained focused on its mission. Part of being a good supervisor required allowing people to do their work, help them get and stay on task, and then get out of their way. Similar to the facilitator’s role, I strove to help people find important issues and priorities for themselves – perhaps with nudging, to varying degrees, as the situation demanded. Good supervision also required honesty in assessing and evaluating the work of others, from praising where praise was due to sharing concern when needed.
Manager. As important as strategic planning is, a program must function effectively, efficiently, and on budget. In the role of manager, I worked to sustain an environment, both in policy and by example, which was service oriented, transparent, and committed to helping people do their best work within the fiscal and operational capabilities of a program.
Fundraiser. In whatever system an institution uses to structure its work in fundraising and development, the leader of an academic unit participates actively in seeking funding to sustain a program, be that through donor development, stewardship of donors and other constituent groups, alumni engagement, foundation support, grants, or other instruments that undergird the academic enterprise. Time and effort in fundraising are essential investments that build, maintain, expand, and cultivate those circles of support which see value in a program.
My hope as a leader was to influence outcomes in a positive way, to help move a community forward productively and beneficially, and to make decisions informed by good thinking, foresight, and the best collective notion of those who I followed, led, and served.
My philosophy of leadership is influenced by many writers. Particularly noteworthy influences are from Rob Austin, Warren Bennis, Lee Bolman, Brené Brown, Jim Collins, Steven Covey, Terrence Deal, Max DePree, Lee Devin, Robert Greenleaf, C.K. Gunsalus, Joseph Jaworski, Josef Martin, Jeffrey Mathews, and Steven Sample.
In the largest sense, a leader builds on the past, manages the present, imagines the future, and does all three with a commitment to a greater good. As a representative of a community, in whatever way that community is defined, an effective leader serves a larger purpose, one whose influence will contribute uniquely to the benefit of a community, its health and promise.
While making decisions that influence the direction a community heads, an effective leader does so through the inclusion, empowerment, and influence of others. Effective leadership requires commitment to a vision, and it relies on seeing people’s gifts, on helping them apply those gifts toward both their own growth and a larger, unfolding future. A good leader listens well, invests in people, and earns trust every day.
To be certain, leaders must be good managers. They and their leadership teams must plan well, use time efficiently, meet deadlines, provide excellent service, manage resources, and set priorities appropriately. They must think critically using both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Most important, leaders are agents of change. They spend time and effort both seeing and building a future they cannot dictate but can influence.
Having served in academic leadership positions at four instituitons (1989-2025), my approach evolved into addressing six roles:
Leader. In the fast-changing world that academe became, I had the responsibility to lead with a vision of a future that drew upon the established success of a program, the priorities of an institution, and developments in academe that affected curricula and staffing. Developing a vision for a program requires broad knowledge, reflection, assessment of the profession, and balance between one's own perceptions with those of others, all of which are weighed against an institution's priorities. Leading with vision also required promoting necessary change while respecting tradition.
Advocate. Actively promoting a program or institution, on and off campus; speaking compellingly of an institution’s mission in preparing students for successful lives; working effectively with current and prospective donors: all are crucial elements of the advocate’s role. Being an advocate required listening carefully to understand the needs, desires, and expectations of a constituency and then, with that knowledge, pursuing support, financial or otherwise, for those programs and their constituencies.
Facilitator. Anyone in a leadership position in academe must both accept and welcome its deliberative nature, one in which power is less hierarchical and in which individuals enjoy a high degree of autonomy. In such an environment, I sought consensus in curricular, personnel, and other non-administrative decisions. Respectful dialogue was the modus operandi in conflict resolution. As a facilitator, I strove to help people find solutions among themselves before relying on decisions by administrative authority.
Supervisor. A leader works with all members of the academic unit to set priorities and goals for their respective areas. In this supervisory role, I met regularly with both faculty and staff to assess work performed, address personnel issues as they arose, and assure that a program remained focused on its mission. Part of being a good supervisor required allowing people to do their work, help them get and stay on task, and then get out of their way. Similar to the facilitator’s role, I strove to help people find important issues and priorities for themselves – perhaps with nudging, to varying degrees, as the situation demanded. Good supervision also required honesty in assessing and evaluating the work of others, from praising where praise was due to sharing concern when needed.
Manager. As important as strategic planning is, a program must function effectively, efficiently, and on budget. In the role of manager, I worked to sustain an environment, both in policy and by example, which was service oriented, transparent, and committed to helping people do their best work within the fiscal and operational capabilities of a program.
Fundraiser. In whatever system an institution uses to structure its work in fundraising and development, the leader of an academic unit participates actively in seeking funding to sustain a program, be that through donor development, stewardship of donors and other constituent groups, alumni engagement, foundation support, grants, or other instruments that undergird the academic enterprise. Time and effort in fundraising are essential investments that build, maintain, expand, and cultivate those circles of support which see value in a program.
My hope as a leader was to influence outcomes in a positive way, to help move a community forward productively and beneficially, and to make decisions informed by good thinking, foresight, and the best collective notion of those who I followed, led, and served.
My philosophy of leadership is influenced by many writers. Particularly noteworthy influences are from Rob Austin, Warren Bennis, Lee Bolman, Brené Brown, Jim Collins, Steven Covey, Terrence Deal, Max DePree, Lee Devin, Robert Greenleaf, C.K. Gunsalus, Joseph Jaworski, Josef Martin, Jeffrey Mathews, and Steven Sample.