How do you show leadership in higher education?

All the steps herein included in this article are on point! Can we include self-leadership as the pre-cursor to all these? With self-leadership comes the ability to “start with the man in the mirror” and assess not only the strengths herein adroitly included, but also the weakness, the self-sabotages, the challenges, be it with skills, personality, etc. Once these are in our awareness and acknowledgement, we know how to work with them and what type of help is necessary. This self awareness is key because leaders create and inspire collaborative teams to assist them to adduce visions into reality via small actionable steps.

I'm sure you know that cross-SWOT analysis is a great business assessment tool. But it's not just a marketing and management instrument. It's a simple yet powerful self-assessment tool for identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. By crossing them with each other, you can leverage your strengths to take advantage of opportunities and address weaknesses to mitigate threats. But don't stop there. To maximize your potential, develop an action plan with SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound goals. This will help you focus your efforts and track your progress. Believe in yourself and know you have what it takes to succeed.

I appreciate all of these comments. In addition, I would say: Be that person that is willing to get it done when you say you will. This will build trust an set and example for those around you. Be an advocate for those who work for you. Allow them to know you have their back and want them to have a positive work experience.

Leadership is a way of life and it is not everyone cup of tea. The first step towards leadership is respect everyone who works with you in & around. The perspective towards each team member should be humble, positive and looking their key strength. Demonstrate work ethics from your side so that other can follow you. Be humble, proactive and appreciate everyone's contribution for the growth. A true leader keep on evaluating oneself 360 degree. They believe in themselves as well as understand the key strength of their team members. The clarity of thought process, vision in life, clarity in commination and value of each one in your team is the reason for success for all good leaders.

I don't totally disagree with these points, but they all seem to define leadership as a job, as something you want to achieve, and you prepare and work for it. But any leader in Higher Education can tell stories about how they had to take leadership roles because someone had to, not because it was their aim or dream job. Most of the time, a real leader is someone chosen or appointed by her/his peers, not someone pursuing an inner drive to lead others. From this perspective, you don't "communicate your value": your peers will have already identified it and will follow your lead if (and only if) it allignes with their interests and goals. Being a leader is sometimes less about planning to be one, but more about being recognized as one.

Talk to your students! Students are the fuel that make the engine that is higher education go. In order to deliver a better experience to students, higher education leaders need to be intentional about building strong relationships with them. Establishing feedback loops with students to understand their evolving needs and how to improve you own processes, is crucial to building a sustainable education model. The stronger and more open your relationship with students, the better set up both parties will be for long-term success.

It's essential that higher education leaders form relationships and expand their networks with the business community. These networks create valuable job and internship opportunities for our students. These relationships also inform us about the needs of industry and how to better align our academic programs.

I've seen firsthand the immense value of investing in building a robust professional network through colleagues and active membership in associations. By connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and sectors outside of higher education, I've opened my mind to innovation and fresh perspectives. I am developing my unique career path and personal brand. I've had the privilege of learning from incredible individuals in my network, and it has been a game-changer for me. LinkedIn has been an invaluable tool and asset in this journey as I am open to connecting with new people each day. It's truly been a game-changer!

Breaking out of your silo is critical. Campus leadership roles for faculty often require policymaking that affects students and staff, too -- understanding the effects isn't enough. Real leadership means bringing those campus constituencies into the decision making process as much as possible.

I am a huge proponent of building relationships within professional associations. For anyone working with graduate student populations, NAGAP (The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management) changed my professional life! It is one of the most welcoming and community-focused organizations I have found in my many years in higher education. CGS, NASPA, ACPA, and many others exist, as well, and put out wonderful research and best practices to support their communities.

In higher education, committees and task forces are a good way to develop skills and knowledge. Consider carefully which committees will help you build your set of skills and grow knowledge. They will broaden your network and build your abilities.

In higher education, pursue opportunities that resonate with your expertise and skills. Embrace invitations to join committees or take on assignments that uplift you. As you step into these roles, approach them with confidence. When you are well-informed, your confidence will shine, allowing you to share your perspective with authority and responsibility. If you identify areas for improvement, take the initiative and show your commitment. Through decisive action, lead and inspire those around you. You will emerge as a standout leader in your field when you create positive results and add value.

Remember that most people are highly resistant to change. Universities are not speed boats that turn quickly, they are more like a giant cruiseliner that needs a lot of space and time to turn around. A good idea may meet lots of push back just because it's something different. Taking the time to build relationships with administrators, faculty, professional staff, support staff, students, and outside stakeholders (alumni, local business and industry, etc.) will help your solution be considered.

In my 12 years on a college campus, finding fellow administrators excited to innovate and improve processes was my largest challenge. It is important to continue to ask the question "WHY" when evaluating a process or problem that may exist at your institution. Gather the facts, build relationships, and always be willing to make the suggestion for improvement. As others have said here, universities can be resistant to change. But a well thought out plan focused on solving an existing pain point can be the driver of making things better for all involved. Don't be afraid to speak up. And partnering with others around campus is often a great way to get things moving.

Be confident about your ideas and solutions, especially if you are in a more junior role. You will have been closer to the problem than those at the top and you are the real expert. Put forward solutions with compelling arguments, outlining how your solution will improve student experience or improve efficiencies. Finally, surround yourself with people who also want to solve problems and innovate. Share your ideas with them and this will give you a greater audience.

Innovation in the field of teaching and learning is vital. With the advent of AI technology it is vital to design innovative methods of teaching, learning and creating learning environments for new Gen.. Unschooling is possible in near future as new learning platforms are mushrooming and roles of universities get changed to asses learners and to certify them in the years to come

Working in higher education in Bharat, I have found that if one can deliver solutions to the problems, nothing better that that. All stakeholders are waiting for some innovative way, so if any individual can deliver even a small change which can benefit students, it will be useful contribution. Incremental changes do help.

So much of influencing those around you is crafting compelling arguments using data. It always goes back to data. Understanding the exact problem you're trying to solve, along with how your proposed solution will do that exact thing, is a recipe for success. Everyone is capable of improving a campus for the better, make sure to always back up your plan with the relevant data and your path forward becomes much less resistant.

In my experience as a college student, some of the best leaders I experienced were the ones that helped develop me into the professional and leader I am today. One in particular is now a College President. Having served on the cabinet at two universities, it’s so critical that leaders always keep in mind the main mission and consistently ask what they are doing to help their students succeed!

Embrace lifelong learning: Best leaders are the best learners. Leaders in higher education should be committed to continuous personal and professional growth. Pursue opportunities for learning and development, such as attending workshops, conferences, or seminars. Stay updated with current trends and research in your field of expertise and share your knowledge with others.

Leadership is also a muscle that needs to be exercised. In the current academic model, most leaders of higher education institutions have never been incentivized to develop their leadership skills. Example - someone goes straight through undergraduate to graduate programs, then becomes an assistant professor for five years, associate professor for five years, earns full and then we wonder why pools of department chairs, deans, etc. are so poor. None of those previous positions in the faculty incentivize leadership. They are incentivized to be subject matter experts.