Reframing Academic Leadership. Lee G. Bolman
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suite. Morris initially worried that Ma might turn out to be an arrogant diva. But during their work together, Ma continually and disarmingly asked for input and feedback from Morris. At one point he asked, “What are the chances, do you think, that if I hang around, I could learn what the choreography is, so that I could actually be influenced by the action on stage?” Or consider the following dialogue between the two:
MA:
Do you have any doubts about our doing this together?
MORRIS:
Well, absolutely, in the notion that we're laying new opinions onto what already exists. The liberating part is that we don't actually have to agree on everything. We don't have to agree on an exact point of view with this music. But if we're relatively honest, something may happen that's not a horrible crime.
MA:
That's the best thing that you hope for?
MORRIS:
That's the worst thing I would hope for.
MA:
(laughs) So what's the best thing that you would hope for?
MORRIS:
The best is an absolutely transcendent, transparent, you know, transmogrifying kind of situation where it gets bigger than all of that (Rhombus Media, 1997).
Yo‐Yo Ma's determination to keep learning and improving his craft is a model for us all.
Learn about Your Theories‐in‐Use
The Sarah and George case exemplifies a useful learning tool. Writing a two‐sided case in the same format that Sarah used is something you can do before or after an unusually tough situation.1 Take a piece of paper and divide it in half. Write a short dialogue that reflects what you said (or anticipate saying) and how others responded (or how you think they will) in the left‐hand column. Add what you were thinking but didn't (or wouldn't) say in the right. You may be surprised to see what you choose to say and not to say. Write these cases on different situations that you face over time, and you'll get new clarity about your strengths, comfort zones, and flat spots. Keep them as a record of your professional growth.
The two‐column case is one example of scenario building, discussed in Chapter 2. It's a low‐risk way to rehearse the future. You'll think more deeply about your intended strategies, how you want to talk with others, and the possible consequences. The case can also tell you how optimistic or pessimistic you are about the situation and reveal what you are reluctant to discuss or make public. Knowing that in advance can enable you to develop and practice new strategies – and build your confidence and communication skills. Remember: the undiscussable issues are often the keys for steering a difficult conversation in a positive direction.
If you use a case to reflect after the fact about what you might have done differently, enlist a trusted friend, coach, or colleague to help. The things we don't know about ourselves are hard for us to see without help from someone else. The writer of a personal case almost always struggles to see gaps and options that are transparent to others. Take heart! With practice and persistence, you'll improve the alignment of your actions with your purposes.
Summary
Leadership works when relationships work – and fails when they don't. Leaders’ self‐awareness and interpersonal skills are central to their effectiveness, but may be insufficient for the challenges of academic life. When relationships go awry, leaders often know what they intended, but not what they did to contribute to unsatisfactory outcomes. As a result, they often blame others instead of learning how to do things better. The best leaders are persistent and proactive in reflecting on their behavior and in learning from those around them. They seek feedback, test assumptions, work on balancing advocacy and inquiry, and learn about their own habitual patterns of action.
Note
1 1. Readers interested in additional information about how to construct or use this kind of case for learning can find details in Argyris and Schön (1974) or Senge (1990a and b).
Part II Reframing Leadership Challenges
Part II focuses on the big picture: how to understand the basics of academic leadership and respond to the challenges of institutional complexity. Colleges and universities, like all organizations, operate simultaneously on four different levels. They need a solid architecture: an appropriate institutional structure with rules, roles, policies, and procedures that channel resources and human talents into activities that support campus goals. At the same time, they must address the dynamics of human nature and create work environments that facilitate motivation, satisfaction, and productivity. Enduring differences of all kinds lead to incompatible campus priorities, power struggles, and the ongoing need to manage conflict. Finally, every institution needs a culture that aligns with its mission and values and provides the symbolic glue to coordinate the activities of many.
Leading in such a demanding environment is not easy. Effective academic administrators need diverse skills, strategies, and understandings. The next four chapters are written to provide those. Chapter 4, “Building Clarity and Capacity: Leader as Analyst and Architect,” addresses how academic leaders can best structure their work, their institutions, and the processes of change and continuous improvement. Chapter 5, “Respecting and Managing Divergent Agendas: Leader as Compassionate Politician,” encourages leaders to understand and productively manage the political dynamics that are an inevitable feature of academic life. Chapter 6, “Fostering a Caring and Productive Campus: Leader as Servant, Catalyst, and Coach,” discusses what leaders can do to improve the alignment between people and their workplaces. Chapter 7, “Keeping the Faith and Celebrating the Mission: Leader as Prophet and Artist,” explores the power of viewing colleges and universities as theaters and temples that ultimately rely on their leaders’ capacities to build meaning and faith.
The central idea at the heart of these four chapters is that reframing academic leadership – deliberately choosing to look at leadership challenges through multiple perspectives – is a powerful and essential tool for institutional success. The work of academic leaders is too diverse – and the purposes too important – for simplistic thinking. Reframing becomes possible and powerful when you can bring multiple, coherent ways of understanding the complex realities and requirements of the work. Developing skills and confidence across multiple leadership frames prepares academic administrators for the range of situations they will face.
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