Leadership in higher education: Opportunities and challenges for psychologist-managers.

This study investigated perceptions of organizational change management among executive coaches working with British higher-education leaders and factors that make leaders effective when managing change. This basic qualitative research used semi-structured interviews with eight executive coaches selected through purposeful sampling. As main challenges to efficient, inclusive change management, participants mentioned leaders’ lack of a strategic vision or plan, lack of leadership and future leader development programs, and lack of clarity in decision-making. They recognized that leaders’ academic and professional profiles are positively viewed and said that, with coaching and support in leadership and strategic planning, these people can inspire the academic community and promote positive change. Additional emphasis was given to the role of coaching in the development of key soft skills (honesty, responsibility, resiliency, creativity, proactivity, and empathy, among others), which are necessary for effective change management and leadership in higher education. The paper’s implications have two aspects. First, the lessons of the actual explicit content of the coaches’ observations (challenges to efficient change management and views of leaders); second, the implications of these observations (how coaching can help and what leaders need).

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Distributed Leadership in Higher Education

Educational Management Administration & Leadership ◽

10.1177/1741143208100301 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 37 (2) ◽

pp. 257-277 ◽

Cited By ~ 125

Author(s):

Richard Bolden ◽

Georgy Petrov ◽

Jonathan Gosling

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Distributed Leadership ◽

Leadership In Higher Education

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The myths and mysteries of leadership in higher education

International Journal of Chinese Education ◽

10.1177/22125868211006203 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 221258682110062

Author(s):

Leo Goedegebuure

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Universities And Colleges ◽

Seminal Work ◽

Leadership Management ◽

Leadership In Higher Education ◽

The Us ◽

Ultimate Question ◽

And Performance

In his seminal work “How Colleges Work” Bob (Robert) Birnbaum poses the ultimate question on the paradox of universities and colleges in the US. How comes, he asks, is it that they are amongst the largest industries in the country with an unparalleled reputation for diversity and quality, but are also regarded as poorly managed. In this paper I explore the evidence for a relationship between leadership, management and performance, or not.

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Understanding race and educational leadership in higher education

Management in Education ◽

10.1177/0892020618791002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 192-200 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jason Arday

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Educational Leadership ◽

Senior Leadership ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Career Trajectory ◽

Senior Leaders ◽

Organizational Barriers ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Leadership In Higher Education ◽

The Uk

The dearth of representation regarding Black and Ethnic Minorities (BME) in senior educational leadership roles within higher education (HE) has become a salient issue as egalitarian notions associated with equality and diversity continue to be contradicted by university institutions, despite increased calls for greater diversification. Educational leadership in higher education within the United Kingdom (UK), particularly when aligned to the primacy of race, remains oblivious to some of the organizational barriers encountered by BME academics attempting to navigate a career trajectory towards senior leadership. The diversification of senior leaders within the Academy in the UK has increasingly become an issue that, although prevalent, has stagnated owing to the lack of visible BME senior leaders and penetrative change to address the disparity regarding recruitment and promotion of more BME academics to leadership hierarchies. This article draws on a collective biography methodology, which will utilize narratives from three BME academics in senior leadership positions within higher education in the UK, in an attempt to illuminate the challenges that saturate the Academy, concerning leadership opportunities and career pathways for BME academics. The issues drawn upon identify synergies between constructions of race and leadership, whilst considering the interplay between these two vehicles when situated within a higher education context.

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