Workforce
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Raising the bar
Leading a university in the business of hope .
By Martin Betts and Paul LeBlanc
Institutions in all sectors , including higher education , are shaped by , and in the image of their leaders . What leaders bring with them from childhood experiences and family backgrounds often frame their values , ambitions , and priorities , which can in turn shape their leadership goals , philosophies , and employer choices .
Many universities treasure excellence above all else , especially within one ’ s discipline . As “ expert cultures ,” status and advancement usually go to the smartest person in the room , so leaders naturally reward and try to model that kind of intellectual brilliance themselves .
However , at a time when students are struggling – with emotional wellbeing , with inequities , with climate anxiety , and often with attacks on their very being ( especially if LGBTQ or a student of colour ) – intellectual brilliance as a value is increasingly giving way to , or at least making room for : emotional
“ The global ecosystem of higher education is changing .
intelligence , relationship , and new definitions of both student , and institutional , success .
As such , our sector is increasingly looking for leaders with other values , skills , and ambitions to rethink our universities for the fraught time in which we find ourselves .
We are faced with new and evolving expectations from stakeholders , whether
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