Leading Wherever You Are. Marilyn A. Sheerer, PhD Professor/Administrator East Carolina University

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1 Leading Wherever You Are Marilyn A. Sheerer, PhD Professor/Administrator East Carolina University

2 Leading in Place Leadership is not granted by position. Leadership is not solely situated at the top. Leadership can be demonstrated at all levels.

3 Management versus Leadership Many excellent managers on our campus Fewer examples of outstanding leadership What is the difference?

4 Managing Effectively Excellent organizational skills Manages time well Follows through on all assignments Completes forms, evaluations, and requests appropriately Conducts regular meetings with staff

5 Effective Leadership Effective leaders facilitate the development of leadership skills in those around them. Create a vision; instill enthusiasm; delegate authority; motivate people to do their best; support individuals; influence employees to commit to a common mission and goals; remain visible; stay engaged; promote high performers.

6 Effective Leadership (continued) Effective leaders are not afraid to set new directions; at the same time, they assist group members during times of transition. The key here is to involve members in the redesign itself as part of an intellectually stimulating process of looking at best practices and assessing where the organization is on a continuum.

7 Effective Leadership (continued) Effective leaders must have intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Knowing thyself is of utmost importance. Such leaders must be open to broad perspectives and conflicting views and work to arrive at a shared, best possible solution to problems.

8 Leadership Behaviors That I Respect A mindset of continuous learning; an inquisitiveness about many different issues A flexible posture about the different and varied people with whom we work. An acknowledgement that the leader s success is built on the success of the team A humility about the power and influence a positional title brings A fierce resolve to do whatever it takes to get the job done well

9 Challenges I have Experienced Redesigning different areas of large organizations and the political pitfalls The resistance of many higher education faculty and staff to change the traditional models of education The male view and expectations of women in leadership The higher education hierarchy and misuse of power

10 Challenges (continued) Unwillingness of some faculty and staff at all levels to address unethical behavior and practices Lack of work ethic Sometimes only lip service given to diversity Lack of organizational and job clarity Lack of accountability in certain areas Confusion in mission and priorities of a university

11 Suggested Strategies Working with difficult, resistant people Case Example for discussion

12 Strategies Continued Supervision Strategies Listening; building relationships; oneon-one meetings; honest evaluations; use of 360-degree feedback models Case example from my own background

13 Strategies Continued Strategic Decision-Making Group brainstorming; participation by all involved parties; clear process of identifying and ranking the priorities; research into best practices and examples from other contexts. Promotion of collaborative models and discontinuance of silo thinking

14 Strategies Continued Valuing diverse constituents inside and outside the institution Actively listening to the position and rationale of people with alternative ideas Respecting the ideals of dialogue and compromise within an academic environment

15 Motivating and Inspiring as a Leader Positive thinking and exploration of new ideas usually energizes people. Looking at other models and visiting places that have inspired people encourages people. Asking the nay sayers to delay their responses until all ideas are on the table is often effective.

16 Motivating and Inspiring as a Leader Avoid standing ignorant in front of your group if and when you are exploring a new idea or model. Do you know what you re promoting? Have you looked at the research? Have you talked to other leaders, perhaps at other institutions, about the feasibility of the idea?

17 Conclusions Know yourself and be yourself. Authenticity goes a long way toward effective leadership. Check in with your constituents on a regular basis. There is a danger in staying in your office too much and listening to only a few reports. Promote fun and laughter in the workplace.