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.