Building Generative Thinking in Higher Education Governance: The Power of Metaphorical Leadership

How shifting our mental models can transform institutional leadership and innovation

#HigherEdLeadership #InnovativeGovernance #StrategicLeadership #BoardGovernance #HigherEducation #TransformationalLeadership #MetaphoricalThinking #InstitutionalInnovation

In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, governing boards and presidents face unprecedented challenges that demand fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. Traditional approaches to governance, while valuable, may no longer be sufficient to navigate the complex intersections of demographic shifts, technological disruption, financial pressures, and evolving stakeholder expectations. What if the key to transformational leadership lies not just in what we think about, but in how we think?

The Power of Metaphorical Thinking

Metaphors are far more than literary devices—they are fundamental tools for understanding and transforming complex realities. When we "think like a pilot," (as I suggested in a recent post to LinkedIn), constantly making minor course corrections to stay on track, or "think like a gardener," carefully cultivating institutional growth while pruning what no longer serves our mission, we activate different neural pathways and unlock new possibilities for problem-solving.

Research in cognitive science reveals that metaphorical thinking enables us to grasp abstract concepts through concrete experiences, making complex challenges more approachable and actionable. For trustees and presidents, this approach is particularly powerful because it:

• Facilitates pattern recognition across seemingly disparate domains
• Encourages systematic thinking while remaining open to creative solutions
• Provides frameworks for understanding complex systems and relationships
• Helps communicate complex ideas to diverse stakeholders
• Promotes cognitive flexibility and adaptive leadership

A New Series on Metaphorical Leadership

Over the coming days, we'll explore how different metaphorical frameworks can enhance board governance and institutional leadership. The series actually started with my post "Why College Presidents Should Think Like Pilots" (https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7285702545233063936?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_updateV2%3A%28urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7285702545233063936%2CFEED_DETAIL%2CEMPTY%2CDEFAULT%2Cfalse%29&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_myitems_savedposts%3Bmi1C7TrrQJS2HPNrT6b8AA%3D%3D). In subsequent posts, we'll examine thinking like:

• A gardener: Nurturing growth while managing resources and timing
• A chess master: Thinking strategically and understanding system-wide implications
• An orchestra conductor: Coordinating diverse elements toward harmonious outcomes
• A city planner: Balancing immediate needs with long-term vision
• An immunologist: Maintaining institutional health and building resilience

Each metaphor offers unique insights into the challenges facing higher education leadership. For instance, when boards "think like immunologists," they develop new frameworks for understanding institutional resilience, early warning systems, and proportional responses to threats. When they "think like conductors," they gain fresh perspectives on coordinating diverse stakeholders while maintaining institutional harmony.

The Transformative Potential

In an era where higher education faces transformational challenges, metaphorical thinking offers a powerful tool for innovation. By deliberately shifting between different mental models, boards and presidents can:

• Identify blind spots in current governance approaches
• Develop more nuanced understanding of complex challenges
• Generate innovative solutions by cross-pollinating ideas from different domains
• Build more effective communication strategies
• Foster more adaptive and resilient institutions

The most effective leaders in higher education will be those who can fluently shift between different metaphorical frameworks, drawing insights from multiple domains to address unprecedented challenges.

Looking Ahead

As we explore each metaphorical framework in detail, we'll examine specific applications, potential pitfalls, and practical strategies for implementation. We'll also consider how these different mental models can be combined and adapted to address specific institutional challenges.

The future of higher education governance requires not just new solutions, but new ways of thinking about problems. Through metaphorical thinking, boards and presidents can develop the cognitive flexibility and innovative capacity needed to lead their institutions into an uncertain future.

Additional Reading:

• Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (2003). Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press.
• Barrett, F. J., & Cooperrider, D. L. (1990). "Generative Metaphor Intervention: A New Approach for Working with Systems Divided by Conflict and Caught in Defensive Perception." Journal of Applied Behavioral Science.
• Morgan, G. (2006). Images of Organization. SAGE Publications.
• Sch?n, D. A. (1993). "Generative Metaphor: A Perspective on Problem-Setting in Social Policy." In Metaphor and Thought, ed. Andrew Ortony.
• Geary, J. (2011). I Is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How It Shapes the Way We See the World. Harper.

About the Author: Robert (Skip) Myers, Ph.D., advises and counsels college and university governing boards and their presidents seeking to optimize and align their joint leadership performance.

Follow him at Robert (Skip) Myers, Ph.D.