Category: Blog

Five Skills We Need to Be Teaching Leaders Now to Prepare for an Uncertain Future 

If the last five years in higher education have taught us anything, it’s that disruption is no longer episodic; it’s continuous. Financial pressure, demographic shifts, changing public expectations, advances in artificial intelligence, and growing questions about the value of higher education are no longer distant threats but daily leadership realities.  We cannot predict exactly what higher education will look like in five or ten years. But we can predict this: that change will be constant, that ambiguity will be the norm, and that leaders will be asked to make high-stakes decisions with incomplete information and competing interests.  That future offers profound implications for leadership development. If we continue to prepare leaders only for today’s higher education landscape, we will leave them underprepared to lead our institutions into the future.  The future demands leaders who can think strategically and expansively, who can engage in anticipatory thinking, and who can navigate complexity without defaulting to fear, rigidity, or zero-sum thinking. Following are five skills that leadership programs should be teaching now.  1. Design Thinking: Encouraging “Possibility” Thinking  Design thinking is, at its core, a disciplined approach to problem-solving that prioritizes curiosity, empathy, experimentation, and learning. It emphasizes divergent thinking, generating many possibilities, before moving into convergent thinking, where choices are narrowed and decisions are made.  The sequencing […]

Why Well-Intentioned Leadership Development Programs in Higher Ed Fall Short—And What to Do Instead 

by Amit Mrig

Over the past two decades, I’ve had the privilege of designing and delivering more than 100 leadership development programs in higher education and supporting institutions as they launched dozens more.  These programs have ranged from single, cohort-based initiatives to multi-layered efforts designed to shape institutional culture over time. At Academic Impressions, we’ve worked with first-time department chairs as well as with presidents rebuilding senior cabinets. We’ve partnered with well-resourced research universities as well as with small and mid-sized institutions doing the best they can with very limited capacity.  The good news is that during this time, I’ve seen a growing recognition that leadership development is mission critical. More institutions are investing in helping leaders to build emotional intelligence, resolve conflict more productively, lead teams effectively, and navigate change with greater confidence. Many are also working intentionally to build pipelines for future leaders who will be ready when the moment calls.  And yet, because many institutions have limited experience designing leadership development programs, a predictable set of mistakes shows up again and again. Ironically, these missteps are usually rooted in good intentions—but they ultimately undermine the very outcomes these programs are meant to achieve.  Following are the five most common mistakes I see when institutions launch or attempt to sustain leadership programming.  1. Trying to Do Too Much  In an effort to be comprehensive, institutions often try to cover as much […]

Getting Back on Track: Ten Strategies for Successful Two- and Four-Year Institutional Transfer Partnerships

by Stephen Handel, Eileen Strempel

Amidst the current upheavals in higher education, the needs of largely marginalized students attending community colleges garner few headlines. Last year, the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Columbia University, in partnership with the Aspen Institute, reported a national transfer rate of 16 percent—only two percentage points higher than a similar study conducted a decade earlier. Despite years of investment by federal, state, and local governments, colleges and universities, and the philanthropic community, we see no empirical evidence that we are broadly improving the odds for community college students attempting to complete a bachelor’s degree by transferring to a four-year institution. Yet the allure of a bachelor’s degree remains a powerful ticket to the middle class for these individuals. Despite the increased skepticism about higher education, as many as 80 percent of new community college students understand the long-term benefits, and express an interest in transferring in order to earn a four-year degree. Have we hit a transfer rate ceiling? Is the stratified structure of U.S. postsecondary education impervious to a fully effective transfer pathway as envisioned by education progressives over a century ago? These are difficult but necessary questions. The pathway between community colleges and four-year institutions will only become […]

Building Better Leaders: 7 Key Practices from High-Impact Leadership Programs 

by Nicole Pruitt

In today’s evolving higher education landscape, institutions increasingly recognize that strong leadership isn’t just essential for individual success—it’s vital for organizational resilience and transformation.  At Academic Impressions, after over twenty years of serving higher education, we’ve had the privilege of seeing how colleges and universities have strengthened their leadership benches in powerful, innovative ways.  When we launched the Best Places to Grow initiative, we aimed to highlight this incredible work. From major R1s to small private colleges to large public universities, we found outstanding leadership programs making a measurable difference. While every program has its unique identity, certain best practices clearly emerged across our nominee pool.  In this article, we spotlight seven practices that help leadership development efforts truly flourish.    1. Embracing Program Evolution and Iteration  Many leaders want to launch fully formed, polished programs right out of the gate. But lasting success often comes through agility and iteration. Programs that evolve based on feedback, shifting needs, and ongoing reflection often achieve the greatest impact.  Examples of Iterative Leadership Programs:  Takeaway: Start small, launch pilots, listen closely, and iterate often for continuous growth and relevance.   2. Making Coaching a Core Component  Leadership isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey. Personalized coaching […]

Empowering Higher Education Leaders Through Coaching in Challenging Times 

by Amy Giordano

When I served in a cabinet-level leadership role, my leadership style was rooted in my belief that success was determined by strategy, collaboration, and execution alone. I had a clear vision and a strong sense of responsibility, but what I did not realize at the time was that there was a powerful tool – leadership coaching – that could amplify my effectiveness in ways I could not anticipate.   Looking back, I can’t help but wonder how much smoother some challenges would have been, how much more I could have developed as a leader, and how much stronger my team could have become, if I had embraced coaching earlier. With the benefit of hindsight, rooted in my growing knowledge of coaching, I am confident that leadership coaching would have been an invaluable asset – both for my own growth and the success of my team. This is the power of coaching: the ability to unlock untapped potential, overcome obstacles with greater ease, and evolve as a leader in ways that go beyond what I can do on my own.   Higher education is facing profound challenges. Our students, institutions, and communities are grappling with uncertainty, burnout, and ongoing crises. The world is […]

Responding to Disruption Fatigue: Reaffirming Your Values and Purpose

by Sarah Adams, PhD

Higher ed leaders at all levels are experiencing an unprecedented amount of disruption right now: The day-to-day work in the classroom feels as if it’s under siege. The continued availability of funding for research and for students is uncertain at best. The very purpose of higher education seems to be on trial. You weathered the enormous disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was different. As bad as it was, you were able to settle into a routine after several months of chaos. The current political disruption promises to continue to bring threats and changes to the higher ed and education sectors for years. Leaders are already exhausted, but the work of serving and educating students continues. So how do you manage the day-to-day reality of disruption fatigue?   What Is Disruption Fatigue? Higher ed leaders have long experienced burnout (see here, here, and here), so you might be thinking that disruption fatigue is just another flavor of the same problem. But it isn’t the same. It’s related to burnout and can contribute to burnout, but disruption fatigue is a disruption problem. While burnout results from things like sustained overwork and stress, disruption fatigue is a response to constant and […]

Responding to a Bad Employee Engagement Survey: A Call to Action for Higher Education Leaders 

by Amit Mrig

Employee engagement surveys, if thoughtfully designed, are a powerful tool for understanding the lived experiences of faculty and staff. They can illuminate areas of strength and expose systemic issues that hinder inclusivity, belonging, and engagement. However, too often, leaders in higher education conduct these surveys infrequently, and when the results are less than favorable, they either bury the data or delegate the issue to a committee that produces little meaningful action. This approach not only wastes time and resources but also erodes trust and credibility. If your institution has received poor results from a climate survey, it’s time to take decisive action. But here’s the key: this isn’t a problem for senior leadership to solve alone. The best outcomes come from a dual approach—from transparent leadership from the top down, and from active engagement from the bottom up. Faculty and staff don’t just want to hear the results; they also want a role in shaping the response. When leaders both own the results publicly and empower their teams to develop solutions, they create a stronger, more engaged institution.   Own the Results The first step in responding to a bad climate survey is for leadership to create transparency by owning […]

Short on Time, Big on Impact: Leadership Development for Department Chairs

by Amit Mrig

One of the biggest barriers we face in our work with institutions is the constant refrain that leaders don’t have time to do leadership development. We hear this about both faculty and staff leaders, but it’s most acute with Department Chairs. Even when institutions are willing to invest in providing leadership development to Chairs, they have a hard time getting them to participate.  Some institutions have resorted to paying stipends for Chairs to participate in professional development. I think paying people to do leadership training sends the wrong message and is ultimately ineffective at producing better leaders. To be an effective leader requires a commitment to ongoing learning, not a “check the box” approach.     So, What Can Institutions Do to Engage Chairs?  For starters, senior leaders like Provosts and Deans need to model the way. They need to signal their commitment by investing in their own leadership through ongoing professional development, participating in 360-degree feedback processes, and using leadership coaches. These signals aren’t just symbolic; they will yield an improved culture of leadership from the top down.  Academic Impressions’ research has found that when leaders model the way by investing in their own leadership and professional development, their direct […]

Navigating Political Uncertainty in Higher Education: A Strategic Approach to Success 

by Sandra Miles, PhD

I recently had the opportunity to offer a keynote address related to building inclusive learning environments. During the session, I asked the audience to consider the reality that the state of our politics is making education super weird (that’s a technical term).   The growing polarization in U.S. politics has profound implications for higher education, especially in how we approach teaching, learning, and the role we play as educators. The narrative of education as “neutral” no longer serves us. In truth, every decision we make in the classroom—whether about curriculum, assessment, or treatment of students—has political dimensions. We must challenge the misconception of neutrality and embrace the fact that the classroom is where we actively shape the future of our students, exposing them to diverse perspectives and critical thinking skills that prepare them for the complexities of the world. By contrast, when campuses are “neutral”, we inadvertently support the transition from a society that appreciates facts to a society that believes all opinions are valid regardless of facts. A transition that fuels the degradation of human capital rather than advances it.   We must intentionally create spaces where students, faculty, and staff can engage with diverse perspectives, question the status quo within […]

Beyond the Acronym: Evolving DEI For Meaningful Change 

by Sandra Miles, PhD

Over the past year, there have been a number of think pieces and declarations related to the need to maintain DEI as integral to the success of campuses. While many of these well-written and impactful statements offer a myriad of reasons we continue to need DEI programs, effective approaches to maintain these programs beyond “fight for the right to say/keep DEI” are harder to come by. We demand courageous leadership (as if DEI professionals haven’t always operated with courage) and then we define that courage as the willingness to put out a statement affirming their values and/or affirm that they will continue to say DEI. But if we’re being honest, that has always been the problem we’ve never addressed: allowing DEI to simply be platitudes and virtue signals, as if the words people say in public are always translated into meaningful action. And even when the words are truly courageous, the reality is that courage without a strategy is either ineffective or reckless.  As we transition from “fact-checking” to “community notes”, it is imperative that we infuse diverse experiences and perspectives within the overall lived experience. We must help everyone around us think critically about sources of knowledge and the […]

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