University presidents have faced unprecedented challenges?throughout?the pandemic. They have had to pivot on a dime and learn to live with uncertainty, all while maintaining a united front for their faculty, staff, students, and community.?Let us?not forget about the added visibility a university president has – every move is?observed?by the public – and in the age of Twitter, one mistake could?unwittingly turn?into?the day’s trending topic.
With all this day-to-day pressure, even the most competent presidents cannot be expected to navigate?these complexities?alone. Even without today’s challenges, leading a university is no walk in the park. With stakeholders virtually everywhere, decisions implicate the institution, regional economy, politics, and culture.?Thus, even?the most competent and determined are not immune to?compounding?stressors.
Case in point, the average tenure of university presidents has dropped from an average of 8.5 years in 2006 to 6.5 years in 2016, according to the latest?American College President Study.
?And dozens of presidents have retired since 2020.?I see these shakeups not as setbacks but as opportunities–?opportunities for university boards to invest in their new leaders. After?all, the first?3-9 months in a new role?typically?solidify their leadership style for the entirety of their tenure.
We, at Berdeo Group?have seen some significant changes in this sector, for sure.?Historically, executive coaching benefactors have been in the corporate?sectors.?But the times are changing, and a wave of higher education leaders?see?tangible benefits in seeking outside help.
Read on to find out how university presidents?can benefit from?an executive coach.
- Adapting to the new role. There is nothing straightforward about?leading?a university,?and no role that fully prepares?anyone?for?it.?Not to mention, one’s?leadership style may be entirely different from their predecessor’s, in which case a cultural transformation may be in order.?For example, as?a new president,?one of?our?clients?embodies servant leadership.?The president before him was?autocratic.?When your new team is used to one way of leadership, it takes concerted effort and time to?adapt to someone who does things entirely differently.?A coach can provide?the?tools?needed for all parties to?adjust?to the unfamiliar,?foster ownership, build trust, and?bolster?campus?culture.
- Effectively transforming the culture.?For?44%?of college presidents, COVID-19 presented an opportunity to make?complex?transformative?institutional?changes,?based on findings of?the?2021 Survey of College Universite Presidents.
?But?the?question becomes, how??Bringing in a coach is instrumental in clearly defining the?vision and?implementing a?strategy to?see the transformation come to fruition.?In addition, having?someone to champion?accountability?for?the changes you want to make and help identify blind?spots and overcome hurdles along the way will make?transformation?leaps and bounds easier.
- Protecting your time.?Presidents?you’re being pulled in so many different directions. It is hard to discern which direction deserves your time. And so,?it is natural to try to take on as much as you can with little to no help. Learning to delegate the tasks that are better suited to others makes a world of difference, not only for you?but also?for?your team.?A coach can help you break those old habits of being everything to everyone so you can spend your time on what you were hired to do–lead the university to greatness.
- Honing situational leadership.?There is no one-size-fits-all?approach to everything that comes up.?The best?practice?is always the one?that?maximizes?outcomes. A coach can help you?see things objectively to?adapt your approach?to match the situation and?reach?a solution as quickly as possible. It may require you to?switch?the servant hat?for?the autocratic?one,?especially when the stakes are high.
- Learning to own the role.?While receiving input from stakeholders within the institution is necessary,?it can be easy to get bogged down by myriad incoming opinions.?The result?can be?delayed?decision making, lack of assertiveness,?and?losing touch with?one’s?inner compass.?And when those?situations?arise?where?immediate and independent action?is necessary,?what?then?does one?do??Receiving guidance and tools from?the outside?allows a president to?develop the tools to?trust themselves?and therefore?act with urgency and clarity when the moment calls.
When university boards?invest?in?leadership development, they?make leaps toward?securing?the success of their universities?and their students. If we?have?learned anything from the past?year,?uncertainty and change are?constant, particularly in higher ed.?Investing in executive coaching?enables presidents to?see their vision through?while maximizing stakeholder?value.
