This year’s Presidents Institute closing plenary featured Linda Hill, Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School. Based on research that she and her colleagues have done in a range of organizations, she proposed presidential perspectives on institutional change and on the development of leaders who can facilitate that change. In seeking to change organizations, a major challenge for leaders is the fact that colleges and universities are complex, intertwined networks where change in one part of the system is often counteracted by the inertia in other parts. For example, Hill said, if an institution seeks to change its strategy without making concomitant changes in structure and systems (that were presumably aligned with the previous strategy), then the new strategy and vision will prove difficult to implement.

Therefore, deep and lasting change requires the development of leadership throughout the institution—leaders who appreciate the importance of continual improvement. Hill said the responsibility of leaders is to set direction, align constituencies, communicate with people and keep them aligned, and motivate and inspire them to proceed in the direction laid out by the leader. Hill’s research suggests that this type of leadership can be fostered, chiefly by giving individual faculty members and administrators “stretch” assignments that provide opportunities to build new skills and encourage them to cultivate a spirit of improvement.

She argued that the president’s question is not “Am I leading?” but rather “Am I creating the context in which others will be willing and able to lead?”

“The only way individuals can learn to lead is if they’re given autonomy—without it, they can’t set direction. They must have the opportunity to practice leadership skills by working on matters that are highly relevant to the organization,” Hill stressed. She pointed out that “presidents can help develop leaders by giving faculty and staff members key assignments and coaching them. Assign them to task forces, editorial boards, committees, and other campus organizations. Help them build relationships, develop expertise that is specific to your organization. Once they get results and are building a track record of success, give them a bigger position and more responsibility. Establish a pattern of success for the individual.”

Hill closed her remarks noting Nelson Mandela’s concept of leadership: “A leader…is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go on ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.”

View resources from Hill’s presentation.