To build better university leaders, institutions should focus on the systems surrounding those in leadership positions, writes Vicki L Baker (Albion College). Through interviews with current and former associate deans, Baker found that leaders who flourished typically had supervisors who set clear expectations, communicated regularly, were open to disagreement, delegated authority, and challenged them. Those who struggled in their positions experienced the inverse. The author argues that while leadership programs can prepare people to become leaders, they cannot provide the systemic conditions necessary for them to thrive. “The question we should ask of senior leaders, then, should not simply be ‘What did you accomplish?’ We should also ask: ‘Who became more capable of leading because you were here?’” concludes Baker.
