How do you recognize a transformative leader, or someone with the propensity to become one? What are the inherent qualities they bring to any context and how do they grow, develop, and regenerate, especially in difficult situations?
What do you think? These questions have been a research focus for me in the last several years and I’d love to hear others’ thoughts.
At the 2023 annual Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) conference earlier this summer, I was fortunate enough to have Donald Norris and Joseph (Tim) Gilmour attend a session I presented on effective current and future HE institution governance practices. In subsequent communications, Norris graciously sent me a copy of a book he co-wrote with Gilmour and Linda Baer, Transforming for Turbulent Times: An Action Agenda for Higher Education Leaders.
Their work recommends “A New Breed of Transformative Leadership” in higher education that denotes preferred character and behavioral traits in a more comprehensive and reflective way than I’ve seen in other texts. I highly recommend considering their ideas if you are interested in this area of study. I also just love that they argue for the development of a network of guiding coalitions (referencing the work of Dr. John Kotter) to develop new innovations, strategies, and the methods which to implement them. This is the crux of what shared leadership is all about.
Ashlei Watson 
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