LOOKING FOR LEADERS: CURRENT PRACTICES IN LEADERSHIP IDENTIFICATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Introduction To be successful in today's changing environment, higher education institutions need competent, effective academic leaders. The rise of college costs, a perceived lack of accountability of higher education to taxpayers and state governments, and a heightened sensitivity of taxpayers toward ineffective and inefficient leadership in academe have contributed to the increased scrutiny on academic leadership. With the challenges of finding effective and efficient leaders for all levels of academic leadership, additional research is needed to gain a better understanding of how current leaders are identified and trained. As interested institutions learn of the specific challenges of leadership identification and training, programs can be developed to better meet these challenges. Individuals can be identified earlier and provided with targeted and focused leadership development activities for meaningful training that is applicable and timely for future leaders. Using data collected in a research study initiated in fall of 2004, this article discusses how mid-level academic leaders are identified in land grant universities, what position they held when they were identified, whether they were internal or external candidates for their position, and how they were selected as potential leaders. In preparing the literature review for this study, every effort was made to use current academic references. There was limited research available but the emerging importance of leadership identification was indicated by edited, non-referred articles. Literature Review The continued success of higher education institutions depends on key positions at all levels being staffed with effective, competent leaders (Gaither, 2002). In this world of information superhighways, student consumerism, increased calls for accountability, and rising costs of education, academic leadership has become even more complex and multidimensional (Wisniewski, 2002). Gaither (2002) suggested that a new view of academic leadership could be traced to the changing organizational structure of multi-campus institutions, the different expectation of a more diverse work force, and a movement towards quality. He gave other factors that have influenced this change, including a flatter organizational structure, decreased institutional loyalty, and the idea that quality leadership can be found and is necessary at all levels of an organization. Performance expectations have increased as responsibilities and accountabilities have increased. In addition to a complex and decentralized internal environment, higher education leadership has been challenged to be responsible to an ever growing number of external constituents. There has been a call for academe to find dynamic leaders to meet these challenges (Brown, 2001). One way to help ensure there are trained leaders in academe is to identify potential leaders and provide them with support, training, and encouragement to take on leadership roles. Both key current leaders and institutional programs can be instrumental in helping to identify and train leaders. The Saratoga Institute's Leadership Development Report (1998) indicated that identifying the next generation of leaders requires the effective skills of current leaders. Choosing leaders who are astute, informed, strategic, and who have strong character and interpersonal skills requires leaders with those same skills. It has become a crucial task of leadership to select and develop the men and women who will be their successor. Potential leaders exist throughout organizations, yet the process of identification and development is often inadequate or too late. (p. 55) Leader Identification Historically, the ladder of succession for academic leadership started with bright, ambitious, usually senior faculty who began the climb by serving as department chairs (Estes, 2001). Those who found satisfaction at the department chair level would continue to be upwardly mobile as opportunities presented themselves. …