Imagine leadership in the military in your mind’s eye. I would wager that most of us would come up with the many of the same images of stoic heroism, courage under fire, sacrifice, valor and loyalty. Can’t you picture the soldier staring off into the distance, probably alone, with a look of resolve? Gritted teeth…
Tag: leadership
Leaders & Leadership: Revisiting Guidance
Leading effectively can be a life’s work. Inherently situational, leadership is defined and informed by context, people and circumstance, all of which constantly change. Recent experience hammers this home: figuring out how to lead in a pandemic, in the crucible of the recent crises, calls out for tools that can offer assistance and perspective. Recently…
Ginzel on Choosing Leadership
“Leadership is a choice.” Professor Linda Ginzel of the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business begins her book, Choosing Leadership: A Workbook, with that deceptively simple sentence. It’s a powerful claim, an assertion that carries with it expectations and consequences. Leadership, she asserts, is a “skill that needs to be constantly practiced and developed.”…
Brené Brown – Knowing How to Dare to Lead
Brené Brown is a phenomenon, an academic entrepreneur and cultural powerhouse. A social worker with a doctorate, a scholar and researcher, Brown’s “day job” is as a faculty member at the University of Houston. Her work and impact is much broader than the classroom and academia. In 2010 Brown gave a Ted talk on the…
The Best Leadership is Useful Leadership
Ever talk with someone joining the community college world as an employee who doesn’t know all that much about community colleges? If I could only recommend one book – and that person was going to take some sort of leadership role – I would definitely recommend Practical Leadership in Community Colleges: Navigating Today’s Challenges. It is…
Lessons Learned: Manage From Your Outbox
William G. Bowen was a wise man of higher education. He passed away recently at the age of 83. As articles appeared in the press assessing his many accomplishments, I decided to read one of his nineteen books: Lessons Learned: Reflections of a University President. I wish I had earlier. It is full good observations and…
More Readings For the New Community College President
Did the holidays come and go without you finding the perfect gift for the new community college president on your list? Or the aspiring college president? Rest easy – I have two reading recommendations. Even though full-time administrators rarely curl up with a book, I am confident that these two volumes will be read, studies,…