Leadership Transitions The New College President

For both new presidents and their institutions, the presidential leadership transition is an intense experience with serious ramifications for the success of the president's tenure. Ironically, although considerable time is spent orienting new stuedents to our institutions, little thought is given to designing an orientation or entry process for our senior leadership. This sourcebook describes some of the experiences of new presidents during their leadership transition, addresses the varying issues and dilemmas new presidents encounter, and offers advice based on research and first-hand experience. The volume is written for new and experienced presidents, for individuals who aspire to the presidency, and for those who work with new presidents and have a stake in seeing them succeed. This is the 93rd issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Higher Education. For more information on the series, please see the Journals and Periodicals page.

Zimpher, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

A presidential transition has a major impact on the life of an institution. Hundreds of presidential transitions take place annually, and when they are not amicable and carefully orchestrated, they can scar both the institution and the president. Sanaghan, Goldstein, and Gaval estimate that more than one-third of the presidential transitions in higher education are involuntary and have a negative effect on the institution. This book is designed to provide assistance to presidents, trustees, faculty, and other important stakeholder groups and help them avoid the pitfalls of poorly managed transitions. The authors discuss how, with proper planning, care, and execution, this presidential passage can be an opportunity for a transitioning president, and those who surround him or her, to write a positive chapter in the campus history. Readers will discover that appropriately addressing the anxiety that accompanies major transitions_for both those joining the institution and those already present_is essential. Dozens of presidents, chancellors, board members, and other senior executives were interviewed for this book. Each major chapter includes selected personal observations, from these interviews, which illustrate the critical issues addressed in the book.

Combining expert knowledge, experience and reflections from senior leaders to distil collective leadership experiences, this book explores the realities of leadership at universities rather than the imagined and often-unrealistic expectations and perceptions of how leaders should act. This key text is an informed insider’s guide to leadership transitions that will assist talented individuals in considering whether to apply for, how to prepare for and how to take on the task of leading a university. The collection of leadership experiences provided will help universities to be more successful, students to have great educational experiences and staff at all levels to have more-fulfilling working environments. It will also consider how to avoid the emotional pain and suffering that can arise when leaders find themselves poorly equipped, unprepared, unable or unwilling to provide the sound and competent leadership that universities deserve. Centred on the practice and experience of leadership, this book will be a must-read for all new and existing heads of universities. It will also provide useful insights to those actively involved in the recruitment and development of senior leaders, members of senior leadership teams and those who hold governance roles in universities. Further updates and details about the application of the ideas in the book in practice can be found at www.leadershiptransitionsatthetop.com/.

Index and bibliography included.

A presidential transition has a major impact on the life of an institution. Hundreds of presidential transitions take place annually, and when they are not amicable and carefully orchestrated, they can scar both the institution and the president. Sanaghan, Goldstein, and Gaval estimate that more than one-third of the presidential transitions in higher education are involuntary and have a negative effect on the institution. This book is designed to provide assistance to presidents, trustees, faculty, and other important stakeholder groups and help them avoid the pitfalls of poorly managed transitions. The authors discuss how, with proper planning, care, and execution, this presidential passage can be an opportunity for a transitioning president, and those who surround him or her, to write a positive chapter in the campus history. Readers will discover that appropriately addressing the anxiety that accompanies major transitions_for both those joining the institution and those already present_is essential. Dozens of presidents, chancellors, board members, and other senior executives were interviewed for this book. Each major chapter includes selected personal observations, from these interviews, which illustrate the critical issues addressed in the book.

Why so many abrupt presidential exits? And how can we prevent them? There are hundreds of presidential transitions taking place every year, but many are doomed to derail early. Why is this? Often, it's because attention is paid only to the initial hire and transition. Though the search process is important in selecting a new president, it is merely one component in a larger integration process that will make or break a presidential tenure. If we are to prevent presidential derailments, then the integration needs to be explicit, strategic, well-executed, and monitored and owned by campus leaders, especially by the governing board. Drawing on research into hundreds of presidential transitions, filled with strategies that have been tested at colleges and universities, and written by a leading leadership consultant with contributions from former and current presidents, From Presidential Transition to Integration provides an in-depth handbook to setting up a new presidency for success. It is a must-read for aspiring presidents, boards, and executive search and transition committees.