In our post-ITC Leadership Academy coaching sessions, we tend to take a deeper dive on leadership philosophies and styles. I’m sure all of us have stood in front of the “leadership” section of Barnes & Nobles - - it is overwhelming to embrace the myriad of titles (and associated approaches) that have been published over the past forty years. For instance, last week, I referenced the approach of “leading from the center”- which has prominence in higher education. I asked AI how many books and articles have been published on the topic of leadership in business and higher education fields- the answer: between 30-50,000 in the past 40 years!!! Seriously…
Reading about leadership works well for some of us; others prefer actual leadership training (aka the ITC National Leadership Academy). For most of us however, it is almost always the “cart before the horse” approach. We are placed into a leadership role with no preparation, background, or training. Our initial goal is simply to survive and figure it all out as we go. In my case, I received my first training in leadership TEN YEARS after I stepped into leadership. After all, many campuses simply don’t anticipate a need for actual training. Rather, they promote the “sink or swim” approach - - and honestly, most of us figure out how to swim (administratively speaking).
If you can reflect for a moment that this is the reality for community colleges (and most organizations), it changes your perspective regarding leadership and decision-making. Bold initiatives and risk-taking require confidence - - most of our decision-makers are NOT risk takers. Rather, they maintain the status quo because that’s what they understand. A maxim I’ve operated under for most of my administrative career is “no good deed goes unpunished”. I have rarely been recognized or rewarded for risk-taking. That said, I’ve taken a great number of risks during my career. I was lucky to be a “tenured faculty” serving as an administrator. That safety net just doesn’t exist in many other systems. There is something in my DNA that likes taking risks, but I’ve found that is also the only way to make real progress. But this is far from the norm. I have noted the preference for ‘glacial” decision-making. It is in the educational culture. You would think it would be just the opposite (a preference for risk-taking), but you would be wrong!
Recommended Reading
Why one faculty abandoned the AI resistance (Opinion), Inside Higher Ed
“For everyone who works in higher education, there is a great deal of pain and disruption to come,” he wrote in an editorial for The Chronicle of Higher Education in April 2025. “We can minimize the damage, though, by helping people understand how AI will transform higher education.”
Accreditation’s AI reckoning: Can colleges still prove students are learning?, eCampus News
Accreditation must now become the force that pushes higher education beyond counting completed work and toward proving that graduates can think, question, verify, create, and decide
Educause Quick Poll Results: instructional continuity (IC) in the face of major disruption (Infographic), Educause
Recent disruptions to the educational systems that support many colleges and universities have highlighted the need for institutions to develop plans for instructional continuity to safeguard the educational activities of higher education.
Dual credit: How to enhance results for underserved students, University Business Magazine
High school students who earn college credit earn bachelor’s degrees at higher rates than those who don’t, inspiring state and education leaders to spearhead new approaches.
Designing the AI-integrated classroom: a triadic learning ecosystem, Educause
Artificial intelligence (AI) will transform the classroom into an interactive ecosystem of guidance and support. The Triadic Learning Ecosystem (TLE) offers an architecture of that near future, connecting teachers, students, and AI-enabled tools in a collaborative model of learning.
Human + AI: leading the next workforce transformation (CC President Viewpoint), CCDaily
Colleges must prepare graduates to succeed in a human + AI workforce where technology enhances human expertise to drive innovation, productivity, and long-term economic opportunity.
Video of the Week
Reinventing Teaching after the introduction of AI, Tedx (YouTube)
Professor Amy Bruckman examines how teaching is already changing in the age of AI, and what the future of education might look like for students and educators alike.
