You’re about to start a new job in Higher Education leadership. What qualities do you need to succeed?

I believe that developing a sense of self-awareness is critical when embarking on a role as a higher education leader. Developing self-awareness helps with effective decision-making, understanding personal biases, fostering empathy, and building strong relationships. It enables leaders to navigate challenges with clarity, inspire confidence in their teams, and adapt to changing environments. Ultimately, self-awareness enhances leadership effectiveness and promotes a positive organizational culture.

Understanding the profound importance of universities’ core mission and values must underpin everything a leader does. “I don’t think you can do these jobs unless you love universities," Michael Ignatief told the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit in 2020. "Unless you really believe in what they do and are impatient with their failures to live up to their ideals. Unless you really believe in knowledge and that moment of incredible excitement when you see a light go on in a student’s eyes – that’s what you live for.” As universities are the conscience and critic of society, university leadership is one on the toughest, most responsible, but also most rewarding of vocations.

When joining a new institution, understand and embrace a learning approach to their mission, values, and what makes them successful. Complete this exercise as quickly as you can. Once you begin understanding the institution's story, craft your leadership narrative on how you will weave your strategic plan into the established construct already established. It is important to understand, you were likely brought in to change strategy and potentially direction, but the overall north star or main mission of the institution has not changed. Remember that, I always tell leaders the same quote: you are still driving from NY to CA, but you have been asked to find a different route to arrive at the same destination.

Given the state of higher education today, business acumen is paramount. This can come in many forms whether inside or outside higher education but understanding how a business works helps leaders keep their eyes open. And yes, running an institution is running a business with customers. Certainly belief in the mission is critical, but if there is no margin there is no mission. Disrupt the traditional model - and don’t assimilate to the culture when it wants to swallow your disruption.

If you have come from a discipline background, it's essential in a leadership role not to confuse the norms of your area as being "The way". In reality, there are multiple different cultures and you need to make sure that your leadership reflects this. Otherwise your ability to sell your vision for the institution is going to be very limited.

When you are leading multi-discipline experts & lecturers from Medicine, Engineering to Business & Social Sciences, a communicative & supportive style of work will help one greatly. Keep learning from a wide range of disciplines so that you can add value & be respected for that area of expertise you bring to the higher ed industry. Collaboration & influence - a win-win for both corporate/professional staff supporting the academic fraternity.

Humility in leadership is vital. Former US president Dwight Eisenhower said that "pulling a piece of string will make it follow you while pushing it will get you nowhere at all". Even Machiavelli understood the need to be open to dissenting voices, to treat expert advisors with true respect and to delegate! In The Prince, he wrote: "The prince should think of the advisor in order to keep him good – honouring him… putting him in his debt, giving him a share of the honours and responsibilities.” Above all, the vital importance of communications is epitmosed by the classic joke: Being a university president is like being the director of a cemetery – everyone is under you but no one is listening!

Higher education is constantly evolving, so you need to be nimble and open to change. (Change is the norm!) Several HE decisions are also driven by politics and factors beyond your control, so staying up to date with what is happening and then maneuvering strategy around this is crucial. In the end, higher education is all about the student experience, so keep that at the heart of all you do.

When I first started, I was eager to jump at every opportunity that might benefit my University in some way, and I said yes to everything that came my way. But with each passing experience, I became more discerning, discovering that there is a strategic and nuanced way to approach relationships that align oneself with meaningful partnerships. In hindsight, not every perceived opportunity yields actual returns, and it is essential to cultivate and maintain relationships that lead to mutually beneficial outcomes. The art of effective networking is a constantly evolving skill that requires thought and intentionality.

Don't don't confuse collaboration solely with providing your input, comments, advice and counsel, and expertise with a diverse and inclusive audience. Creating the environment for others to contribute can be even more impactful to your organization's success. If others observe you authentically saying "What do you think?" and "I want to hear from you," that can strongly influence their willingness to participate not only in informing strategy and planning, but also enacting it, as they can see how they have contributed to it.

As a higher education leader, a broader vision is a must, though devil is in the details - researching, knowing your students and faculty, providing flexibility, collaboration and empathy is so important in the dynamic landscape. It's hard to plan for 20-30 years so plan for 2-5 years, but remember learnings and skills should empower students for decades and outlive the program itself. Bank on constant innovation and people that are passionate to work on making impact. Recognise and encourage your team members to succeed. Assess known and unknown risks in your plan, and use problem solving skills to manoeuvre. Lastly be supportive of diversity and inclusion.

Higher education leaders should have the training and ability to think out of the box. Good exposure is essential for becoming a lifelong learner. Usually, good academicians and researchers are not good education leaders.

In today's rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, leadership demands a mindset rooted in perpetual learning and adaptability. Staying abreast of emerging trends and fostering a culture of innovation within teams are paramount. Encouraging professional growth, feedback loops, and recognizing achievements become the cornerstone of success. Embracing change with flexibility and resilience, while honing creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, propels leaders toward navigating the complexities of tomorrow's educational frontier.

Learning and innovation to match global standards/global learning trends. Ensure learning and innovation in the student community and teaching/non-teaching staff.

Los líderes de las instituciones de educación superior (IES) se enfrentan a múltiples dificultades en un contexto de escasez de recursos, presión social y demandas de calidad. Estas condiciones limitantes exigen a los líderes desarrollar capacidades de innovación y resiliencia para mantener la institución en funcionamiento y adaptarse a los cambios constantes. La innovación implica generar soluciones creativas y eficientes para los problemas que se presentan, mientras que la resiliencia implica resistir y superar las adversidades con optimismo y compromiso.

Intentional openness to diversity and inclusion is expected. Execution of this may require lot of convincing work within the existing system.people/system

They drew a circle that was kinda round and about And left some of them out. I drew another circle that was also round but kinda thin That drew all of them in! DEI and higher education has a strong co relation. The potential workforce and life force that we nurture at that stage cannot afford to be not inclusive, flexible, progressive and futuristic. Hence the curricula, the implementation and the opportunities available in the industry outside, have to be DEI sensitized

Begin by conducting a comprehensive assessment of current policies, practices, and campus culture to identify areas for improvement. Develop a strategic plan with measurable goals and timelines, ensuring alignment with institutional values and objectives.Engage stakeholders across departments and constituencies to garner support and ensure diverse perspectives are represented in decision-making processes. Implement robust training programs to educate faculty, staff, and students on the importance of D&I and equip them with the tools to promote inclusivity in their respective roles. Establish accountability mechanisms to track progress and address challenges along the way.

A Diversidade deve refletir a sociedade dentro da organização. É necessário investir em políticas de inclusão, equidade e diversidade. Com o advento do ESG tornou-se um diferencial competitivo investir em diversidade, não por marketing, mas, de forma real, com ações eficazes.

As with our work with students, the term “resilience” must not be confused with “being tough”. You can be resilient and still retain a good level of emotional intelligence and you must never feel you have to cut yourself off from others or be emotionally aloof (something that many new leaders feel obliged to do). Rather, resilience is accepting that every idea you have, or everyone proposal you put forward, will not necessarily be accepted with enthusiasm by those around you, and, more importantly, if they feel threatened by what you are proposing they may “lash out” in ways we would rather they did not. A resilient perspective protects you from feeling the weight of opposing views on your own shoulders.

Set a positive example to your colleagues by acknowledging your own emotional state. Resilience isn’t about struggling on bravely with a stiff upper lip in silence. Make it normal to acknowledge when things are tough, and share the things you do to maintain hope when it feels like it’s a long way away.

Whether interviewing candidates or being interviewed for a position myself, I always like to ask how the candidate or employer supports and sustains life/work balance. If their answers are unclear or hesitant, I probe deeper. We get one life to live and it should not be hinged to employment that shortens it. As a leader myself, I welcome and take part in conversations and actions to support creative and flexible PTO use to support employee wellness, including brain health, and retention. If as a leader you are not taking care of yourself, you are probably not taking good care of your team as well as you should either.

It's essential to put self-care first and create a workplace that supports everyone's well-being. Start by having open conversations with your team, where people can talk about their problems without feeling judged. Set achievable goals and focus on making progress rather than being perfect. Use strategies like delegation and time management to handle your workload better. Respect people's work-life balance, give them regular breaks, and make it easy for them to get mental health support. Set a good example by showing how to handle stress and making your own well-being a priority. By building a positive work environment that encourages self-care, you can help your team become more resilient and happier.

The higher you rise in any institution the more visible you become and the more your behaviour matters. Do and say nothing without reflecting on what example it sets for others. If you want to engender respect you must match wisdom with courtesy.

At the core of a higher education institution are the students. A higher-ed leader would do well to do right by the students. With every decision made, have empathy. Consider how your action affect the students, their learning experience and outcome, and their future contribution to society and humanity as a whole.

Humility is a key attribute for effective contributions in higher education leadership. Personal advancement is possible with self-promotion and self-importance, but advancing students through schooling to desirable professional and civic roles requires humility. Humility includes resource utilization assessments, hearing concerns and suggestions from those without the same title or educational attainment, willingness to course-correct, transparency in decision-making, inclusion of impacted parties in process development, and respect for diverse people and perspectives.

I agree with colleagues' comments below on the importance of leading by example, modelling behaviour and listening to colleagues and I would also like to add the importance of taking a leadership approach which empowers others. In my experience, this builds trust, buy in and ownership, all of which are critical for successful strategy implementation and a positive, enabling workplace culture.

In addition to the points outlined in the article, possessing ample teaching and instructional design experience across various levels, staying abreast of information and knowledge updates, keeping up with modern technological advancements, demonstrating adaptability and flexibility in navigating educational shifts, and avoiding biases towards individuals based on group affiliations, race, or language are essential characteristics for fulfilling this role.