Coaching the Academic Leader (Part 1)
by SARAH NIELSEN
Imagine that you have just been promoted as a new manager. Congratulations!
Unfortunately, you immediately notice some unexpected challenges in this role. Namely,
your former colleagues are now your direct reports, but they will become your peers once again in about 3-4 years when you rotate back to your role as faculty,
a large number of your direct reports typically cannot be fired and more or less have their job for life (i.e., tenure),
you are not selling a product, but you do have demanding constituents, • your entire career until now has been singularly focused on developing and honing your unique intellectual expertise,
despite your new managerial role, you are still expected to perform your previous job at least ¼ to ½ of the time,
you will only receive training in how to manage a budget and how to access the performance evaluation system,
and you also may need to add “fundraiser” to your title.
Such is the distinct experience of new academic leaders. They spend the bulk of their careers developing expertise as researchers and scholars that makes them stand out as individuals, yet as leaders they take on responsibilities requiring an entirely different skillset. Despite this challenge, they also typically do not receive much in the way of preparation or training for their new roles. I have read that as much as 60% of new faculty leaders receive less than 5 hours of training for their new role. Any training provided tends to cover more transactional tasks, such as managing the budget or using the performance evaluation system. These are important responsibilities, but the how of these tasks is often left out. For example, while academic leaders may understand the nuts and bolts of managing budgets, the negotiation and prioritization of budget items is up to the leader to figure out and learn on their own.
There is a distinct gap between what is required of academic leaders and what they are often prepared to deliver. This gap is an ideal opportunity for leadership coaching. Inevitably some of the gap could be addressed with mentoring and training, but given the interpersonal challenges inherent in the requirements I list above, working to develop one’s self-awareness, social acuity, and relationship management are critical for success.
Developing one’s emotional intelligence is the key.
While all leaders are concerned with motivating their workforce, academic leaders have a unique struggle in this area. Typically, their workforce:
has a job for life because they are tenured,
are trying to stay afloat in a “publish or perish” system, or
are contractors (i.e., adjunct faculty) that have no long-term commitment to the institution.
How do you motivate someone who knows they are at extremely low risk of losing a job anytime soon? How do you motivate someone who is committed only to the next few months of teaching and may never be back at the institution? How do you ensure your newer faculty feel a sense of belonging and commitment while they are working overtime to meet ever increasing standards for tenure and promotion?
These are questions that trouble the academic leader and the solutions require finesse and emotional intelligence. Transitioning from an individual contributor to an academic manager brings unique complexities like managing former colleagues turned direct reports, dealing with tenure, and balancing a host of responsibilities. The gap between what academic leaders are expected to do and what they’re actually ready for is where leadership coaching is critical. Coaching the academic leader will increase the selfawareness, social acuity, and relationship management skills that are vital to managing a workforce with such diverse motivations and commitments.
More about Sarah Nielsen
Dr. Sarah Nielsen is a Leadership & Life Coach, founder of Emotive Coaching, & trusted advisor with over 20 years of experience as an industrial organizational psychologist, college professor, facilitator, and leadership expert. She specializes in coaching emerging and seasoned leaders who need clarity and want results.