Abstract:

This presentation will address not only the known need that Higher Education in the U.S. must make in choosing it's top level administrators, but also how those individuals might benefit from being trained in administrative agility or selected because they are able to show that they are agile leaders. It is known that Higher Education is on the decline in the U.S. in large part due to the shift that has taken place regarding a huge power shift from faculty to "professional" administrators. Most Universities are run by individuals that have no faculty experience, but rather see their institutions as businesses. People are chosen from the "business" side of university administration and therefore bring a very skewed view of what a university is and what is important. With all that in place and possibly too far gone, it is time to think about what could "this type" of administrator do better and possibly what additional characteristics and/or training should they have.

I will be discussing how universities should include in the selection process the notion of identifying "Agile Leaders". This is a concept that is being recently addressed in the business/organizational psychology world. And, although I feel that applying the business model to Higher Education in the U.S is one of the reasons that it is on the decline, I do fee that we are, for the present time stuck. Given the present situation I feel that Universities would be wise to seek out University leaders that communicate that they are agile leaders. Agile leaders typically have or can be developed in the following ways/areas;
1-Anticipate Well
2-React Well
3-Be Visionary as well as Strategic
4-Set clear expectations for and model Agile Leadership behaviors
5-Select and Reward based on Agility
6-Harness the power of teams
7-Be consistent about Feedback

All of these areas/skills/approaches will be addressed within the presentation. Universities in the U.S. must do something, and time is running out.

Keywords:

Higher Education Administration, Leadership, Development.