Today’s Tuesday Reading is from Brian McDonald, Founder of MOR Associates. Brian may be reached at [email protected] or via LinkedIn.
Higher Education, We Have a Problem!
As Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said, “the financial environment for higher education has shifted significantly in part because of changes in health research priorities. We must be prepared for a long and uncertain road ahead.”
How do we as leaders meet the moment for higher education when there are so many challenges facing our institutions? The first question for many is what it means to “meet the moment?” My friend Kirk, who teaches at MIT, suggests people don’t really know what it means to meet the moment, or what this moment entails for their school, unless they have talked to a dozen other leaders to get a broader understanding.
If you interview the CFO they may be preoccupied, rightfully so, by the financial cutbacks at the federal level or the rising operating costs. The Vice Provost for Enrollment may be concerned about the Department of Education’s changes in financial aid, or their primary concern may be for visas for international students. The Dean may be concerned about the fall-off in international students who turned out to be no-shows after accepting admittance. The President is concerned about the cutbacks in federal funding, the critical and polarizing climate, the challenges to freedom of speech and the university’s autonomy, affordability, and the list goes on.
Senior leaders are in incredibly difficult positions trying to navigate criticisms while being responsive to the campus constituencies. This past week saw another leader, the President of Northwestern, resign in the face of political and financial pressures.
In “Crucibles of Leadership,” leadership guru Warren Bennis shared this insight from his research, “One of the most reliable indicators and predictors of true leadership is an individual’s ability to find meaning in negative events and to learn from even the most trying circumstances. Put another way, the skills required to conquer adversity and emerge stronger and more committed than ever are the same ones that make for extraordinary leaders.”
Given these challenging times, what are we to do to meet this moment? Initially, it will be important to recognize where you sit in the organization often determines what you see. It will be helpful to take my friend Kirk’s advice and get out of your seat, engage with other leaders, listen to how they see this moment and the current challenges.
As Jay Dominick, the former CIO at Princeton University used to say, “you have your priorities, and you may be aware of your manager’s priorities, yet you need to be aware of your manager’s manager’s priorities. This enables you to appreciate the view from your boss’ balcony. With this deeper recognition of the current context and the challenges your leaders face, where could you step up and contribute?
During turbulent times or leadership transitions, MOR has consistently proposed that you double down on “leading from where you are.” These aren’t the times to sit it out or decide it is better to stay under the radar.
A Starting List of Suggestions for You to Build on
Where or how could you step up and lead from where you are? Here are some suggestions for meeting the moment:
1. Keep the mission front and center
How can you and your team get closer to the mission and deliver greater value in support of the teaching, learning, research, healthcare, or knowledge preservation missions of the university? Faculty are under considerable pressure. What more could your team do to support their efforts in times of duress? Where is there an opportunity to collaborate to contribute to one of the missions of the university?
2. Contribute to financial sustainability
Develop strategies or actions your team can bring forward to optimize resources and lower the spend. Focus on both the quick and most impactful opportunities.
3. Leverage technology to increase efficiency and effectiveness
Whether it is deploying artificial intelligence (AI) or implementing process improvements or deploying other tools, this is a moment where universities need to be aggressive in reducing costs. As Jack Wolfe shared last week, we need to identify opportunities where we can deliver strategically impactful results.
4. Support the integration of services across the university
Actively engage in initiatives designed to align resources in information technology, human resources, and/or finances. People and resources are distributed across the university in a way that doesn’t optimize the overall spend. There is an opportunity for the whole to be greater than the sum of the parts. Be part of the solution, help shape the future.
5. Focus on supporting the people needed for the long run
Communicate with your people, provide what assurance you can. Engage with those who have the critical skills needed for long-term success and let them know you value their skills, the contribution they are making, and want them to stay. Additionally, if someone leaves don’t automatically look to fill that position. Maybe filling this position can be delayed or the opening could be redirected to the highest and best use.
Conclusion
You can lead from where you are. You can enable your staff to lead from where they are. We encourage you to be the person who focuses on possibilities, the person who takes the initiative and helps others see the places where we can make a positive difference.
When you think about meeting the moment at your institution and leading from where you are, where could you contribute most?
Last week, we asked what is most difficult in creating strategically impactful results.
- 28% said creating a clear plan with deliverables
- 25% said being proactive and setting out strategic goals
- 18% said being agile when circumstances change
- 17% said executing on the plan
- 12% said aligning with the institution’s direction
Collectively, we are generally good at doing things and getting things done. Give us a project and we can make it happen. However, what we find more difficult is being proactive in setting out a goal and creating a plan to make it happen. As we strive to meet the newness and novelty of this time, it becomes even more important for us to consider ways to proactively set goals and create the plans needed to meet the moment.