The Innovating Together Podcast University Innovation Alliance

Weekly Wisdom Interview with Doug Lederman of Inside Higher Ed


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Weekly Wisdom Commencement Special Episode With Bridget Burns & Doug Lederman




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In today's episode of the Innovating Together Podcast, hosts Bridget Burns and Doug Lederman are interviewing President Daria Willis.  President Willis is the current president of Howard Community College. President Willis shares her experience and advice on how to navigate the early stages of a new presidency. She emphasizes the importance of listening to various perspectives, and avoiding disparaging one's predecessor. 

Being a new leader in an institution can be a daunting task, especially if you're the first person of color or woman in the role. President Willis offers valuable advice for new presidents on how to navigate the early stages of their presidency. She emphasizes the importance of being guarded and not trusting everyone immediately, especially those who may have their own agendas. She advises taking the time to listen to various perspectives and picking up on common themes to gain a clearer picture of the institution. She suggests taking a strategic approach to leadership and bringing in trusted colleagues to provide a different perspective.

Today's conversation also touches on the challenges of turnover and the importance of long-term planning for institutions. President Willis discuss the pressure to differentiate oneself from the previous leader, and how boards can contribute to this pressure by emphasizing the need for a new leader to take the institution to the "next level," without defining what that means. She notes that this can set new leaders up for failure, especially if they are the first person of color or woman in the role.

President Willis talks about the importance of having a coach who can help you think from a business and entrepreneurial mindset, especially if you come from a non-business background. She also emphasizes the need for boards to have more diverse representation to better understand and support the president's vision. President Willis shares her positive experience with a former board chair who provided her with a safe space to discuss issues and helped her move forward during the pandemic.

President Willis provides valuable insights and advice for new community college presidents, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning, listening to various perspectives, and finding time for reflection and personal growth. President Willis's experience and wisdom serve as a valuable resource for anyone navigating the early stages of a new presidency.

“I have learned that who you see, what you see is what you get. I'm going to keep it 100, and I know how to act when I get in front of state legislators and all of that stuff, but I'm still Dr. Willis.” - President Daria Willis

What you will learn -


Authentic leadership is key


Diverse leadership in institutions


Building a Positive Community


Many pathways to success



Learn more about President Willis by visiting:

About

LinkedIn

Twitter

Learn more about the UIA by visiting:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

Facebook






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In today’s episode of the Innovating Together podcast, hosts Bridget Burns and Doug Lederman talk with Vincent Rougeau, a former law dean, and the current President of College of the Holy Cross. President Rougeau spent a good part of his career in legal education, and was a law dean prior to taking the Holy Cross job. Today, he shares his insights on how his legal training and experience leading in a law school has affected how he leads. 

President Rougeau believes that in order to be an effective leader, it requires a deep understanding of oneself. To be an authentic leader, you must be able to recognize your strengths, weaknesses, values, goals, and interests and use them to your advantage. He believes that it is just as important to see those in others. This means that as the leader, you should focus on serving the needs of the team and the organization, rather than your own personal needs and desires. President Rougeau stated that this can be difficult, as the natural instinct of a leader is to focus on their own needs and desires first. However, by focusing on the needs of the team and the organization, the leader is able to create an environment of collaboration and trust. This allows the team and the organization to thrive and grow.

“I was fortunate enough to have a role model in my life who taught me the importance of leading with service. My father was deeply devoted to principles, often making serious sacrifices to benefit many people beyond himself. He was involved in the civil rights movement and was jailed for his work. From him, I learned that if you lead primarily to gain something for yourself, it may not be the best motivation. Instead, if you lead to improve an organization or institution on behalf of many, then you will be more successful.” - President Rougeau

What you will learn -


Authentic leadership is key


Diverse leadership in institutions


Building a Positive Community


Many pathways to success



Learn more about President Rougeau by visiting:

About

LinkedIn

Twitter

Learn more about the UIA by visiting:

Website

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

Facebook

This week's episode is sponsored by Mainstay, a student retention and engagement tool where you can increase student and staff engagement with the only platform consistently proven to boost engagement, retention, and wellbeing. To learn more about Mainstay, click here.


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Weekly Wisdom Interview With Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell


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Weekly Wisdom Interview with Fordham University President Tania Tetlow


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