A Force Multiplier: Leadership Development as a Strategic Asset in Higher Education

In an era where higher education institutions face unprecedented challenges, many leading universities have discovered a powerful catalyst for institutional transformation: leveraging their strategic investment in leadership development. The question is no longer whether to invest in leadership development, but how to maximize its impact across your institution. Those who have answered this question effectively have found themselves better positioned to thrive in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape.

The Challenge Opportunity Landscape

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – John Archibald Wheeler

The historical headline says it all: “Higher Ed Faces Unprecedented Challenges.” The current environmental factors put a point on it. 

Information technology has become a linchpin in how institutions respond to rising costs, lower revenue, shifting demographics, increased competition, and the demand for innovative learning and research models. These factors have fueled a surge in digital recruitment, personalized outreach, and data analytics, calling for more powerful and scalable IT infrastructures. Information Technology teams are under pressure to deliver efficient, cost-effective solutions to help rein in expenses while maximizing ROI. AI is significantly transforming information discovery, knowledge management, and research processes in higher education through tools like semantic search, personalized recommendation systems, and automated research assistants. These changes affect students, faculty, librarians, and administrators in different ways. A recent EDUCAUSE survey found that 87% of higher education institutions now consider digital transformation a high or essential priority, up from 62% just five years ago.

Many higher ed Information Technology departments have become more agile, cost-conscious, and more strategically aligned with their institution’s mission. Whether it’s scaling online learning platforms, securing sensitive data, lowering service costs, improving research platforms, implementing AI solutions, or driving data-driven decision-making, IT is now at the heart of transforming and supporting higher education in a rapidly changing environment. Those organizations that have built a strong leadership foundation are more strategic. They have a clear vision for where they need to go. They have alignment within their organization and with key stakeholders on that vision. They motivate people within the organization to be partners in making that vision happen despite obstacles. 

A Game-Changing Partnership 

Many higher education CIOs and their organizations have been developing their leadership capabilities in partnership with MOR Associates. Their sustained strategic focus and leadership have enabled individuals, organizations, and the broader higher ed IT community to evolve and adapt in ways that continually support furthering the mission of their institutions. Over 50% of all participants suggest these investments in their leadership have been game-changing or transformational. Their testimonials tell of impact across their institutions. As their people continue to lead from where they are, develop leadership confidence and community, they are increasing the capacity to lead, and, at the same time, decreasing risks related to strategic projects and critical change initiatives. 

Cultural Transformation and Strategic Alignment

What begins as individual skill development evolves into a broader cultural shift. When leaders at all levels—from team leads to senior executives—share a common leadership language and framework, inefficient silos begin to dissolve and the possibilities for innovative and substantial change increase.

The University of Nebraska’s experience provides a compelling example. They faced a daunting challenge: unify four independent campus IT groups and reduce the overall IT budget by $6 million. The initiative achieved its ambitious cost-reduction target while maintaining high-quality IT services throughout the transformation. More importantly, it created a model of collaborative excellence that was later cited by the university’s president as an example for system-wide transformation. MOR played a pivotal role in this effort, facilitating strategy alignment and leadership development while promoting a unified vision and culture across disparate teams. MOR’s facilitation and focus on organizational health were instrumental in achieving both immediate cost savings and setting the foundation for ongoing innovation and collaboration across the University of Nebraska system. 

The University of Iowa faced similar challenges, needing to reduce IT spending by $5 million. Rather than having the cuts done to them, the CIO took ownership and brought leadership together from the central and distributed IT organizations. MOR Associates facilitated the process and this collaborative effort, central and distributed IT departments were able to meet the cost reduction demand of $5 million.  

This aligns with the findings from Kezar and Holcombe’s 2017 article “Shared Leadership in Higher Education” that found institutions investing in developing distributed leadership capabilities demonstrated 3x greater success implementing strategic changes compared to those with traditional top-down approaches. Similarly, the American Council on Education’s 2018 briefing on their longitudinal study of leadership development programs showed institutions with comprehensive leadership development reported 42% higher success rates in strategic change implementation. 

The Evaluation Institute found that 97% of MOR participants report some-to-significant sustained leadership behavior changes as a result of a MOR program experience. This is very positive outcome compared to their typical finding of  less than 50%. Our experience is that investment in MORprograms delivers several mechanisms through which leadership development enables change:

1. Enhanced capabilities to lead change
2. Improved stakeholder communication
3. Stronger coalition building across organizational silos
4. Better alignment between strategy and implementation
5. Increased organizational resilience

The research cited above as well as additional studies within and outside higher education support these findings. 

This MOR model has been adopted by many of our clients, demonstrating how leadership development drives both immediate efficiency gains and long-term cultural transformation.

A Foundation of Trust

As leaders develop stronger capabilities in giving and receiving feedback, decision-making becomes more transparent and inclusive. This growing trust enables faster execution of strategic initiatives, particularly crucial during complex processes such as consolidating systems, integrating services across institutions, and implementing cross-organizational initiatives. Research consistently demonstrates that high-trust environments yield measurable benefits in productivity, innovation, collaboration, employee well-being, and organizational performance across various metrics.

Engagement and Retention: The Competitive Edge

The impact extends beyond operational efficiency. Many, including Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin, report a positive impact on talent retention and improved engagement. In an environment where technology talent is increasingly difficult to attract and retain, research confirms leadership development proves to be a powerful differentiator that enhances organizational culture, which in turn fosters employee commitment and retention.

In the case of Nebraska, despite the challenges of organizational restructuring, turnover remained low among high-potential staff. The focus on identifying and developing talent has created a sustained pipeline of future leaders who understand both technology and institutional context.

From Cost Center to Strategic Partner

Perhaps most significantly, MOR leadership development programs have helped transform how IT is perceived within institutions. These programs have improved communication and collaboration, enabling IT leaders to build stronger relationships across departments and effectively translate complex technical concepts into actionable results. This shift has positioned IT as a key collaborator in academic and operational activities, driving innovation and increasing the perceived value of IT within the institution. Leadership development has also enhanced IT leaders’ ability to manage crises like the pandemic, adapt to emerging trends, and foster a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring that IT remains resilient and responsive to changing needs. This transformation underscores IT’s essential role in navigating the evolving, technology-driven landscape of higher education.  The shared leadership language these programs promote enables teams to accomplish more than they did prior, building trust and efficiency across departments.

In Educause’s IT Leadership Workforce in Higher Education 2024 report, respondents were asked about the competencies at which they are currently most proficient and which will be most important to their careers in five years.  Two competency areas were highlighted: leadership and communication.

The Compounding Returns

Additional benefits emerge over time: there is a compounding effect of shared leadership practices and the development of networks in accelerating problem-solving and innovation. These leaders become valuable partners for strategic decisions and change initiatives.

Shared leadership, characterized by distributing leadership roles among team members, fosters a collaborative environment that enhances team effectiveness. This approach not only facilitates communication but also encourages diverse perspectives, leading to improved problem-solving capabilities. Shared leadership positively influences team creativity by enhancing constructive ideation among team members, which is crucial for innovative outcomes. 

Moreover, the cultivation of informal networks within organizations has been linked to increased adaptability and innovation. These networks provide platforms for knowledge sharing and support, especially during times of change or stress. Research indicates that such informal connections can accelerate problem-solving, foster a culture of continuous improvement, and support organizational health.

Additionally, MOR alumni are bringing together communities of practice (CoPs) to serve as networks that facilitate knowledge exchange and collaborative problem-solving. Members of CoPs often experience increased communication and the generation of new knowledge, which can lead to enhanced innovation within the organization. 

Implementing shared leadership practices and nurturing networks can lead to unexpected benefits over time, including accelerated problem-solving, enhanced innovation, and more effective strategic decision-making.​​

The Need for Continued Investment

The pace of change in higher education continues to accelerate. According to a 2023 Inside Higher Ed survey, 71% of university presidents agree that their institution needs to make fundamental changes in its business models, programming, or other operations. This aligns with findings from the Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2024 “Future of Work” study, which revealed that 76% of higher education institutions are planning significant technological transformations in the next three years, but only 31% feel they have the leadership capacity to execute these changes effectively. 

This reality underscores the continued need for investment in leadership development. Institutions that view leadership development as a continuous journey rather than a one-time event are creating cultures where leaders at all levels are empowered to:

• Enhance capabilities to lead change
• Improve stakeholder communication
• Strenthen coalition building across organizational silos
• Better align strategy and implementation
• Increase organizational resilience

The Path Forward

For institutions who’ve made the investment in leadership development or those contemplating it, the evidence is clear: when thoughtfully implemented, investments in leadership and strategic direction programs deliver returns that extend far beyond individual skill enhancement.

The experiences of our partner institutions demonstrate that especially amid significant budget pressures and organizational challenges, leadership development can drive both immediate cost savings and long-term institutional transformation. As a leader, it also sends a clear message to your team on what is important.

For those who have done this work, we encourage you to focus on the MOR leadership community you’ve built. Call them to action. They are ready. If yout haven’t consistently been investing in your leadership community, start now. The necessity of having your entire organization leading from where they are has never been more critical in facing higher education’s unprecedented challenges.

The question is no longer whether to invest in leadership development, but how to maximize its impact across your institution. Those who answer this question effectively will be better positioned to thrive in an increasingly complex and competitive landscape.

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