Category: Blog

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Knowing Yourself As a Leader 

by Alicia Miranda, Beth Rotach

Leadership has always been an endeavor laden with challenges—both the good kind that enables you to grow, and the difficult kind that stretches you. This year will certainly be no exception and is likely to test leaders, both formal and informal, at all levels. Given this climate, how do you not get stuck just reacting instead […]

Resilient Leadership: How to Navigate Stress and Chaos with Clarity and Purpose 

by Amit Mrig

In times of stress and chaos, leadership is often put to the ultimate test—and that is certainly an apt description of what’s happening in higher education these days. Faculty and staff are looking to their leaders for direction, stability, and reassurance at a time when leaders themselves are struggling to make sense of the flood […]

IngenioUs Leadership in Action: The Power of Unleashing Human Experience and Potential 

by Melissa Morriss-Olson, Ph.D.

“When doing what we most love transforms us into the best possible version of ourselves and hints at even greater future possibilities, the urge to explore becomes a feverish compulsion.” -Steven Kotler1   Leadership in higher education goes beyond operational management—it is about creating a culture that inspires every individual to unleash their full potential. Over […]