Leadership and Change

In higher education, leadership and change are nearly inseparable topics. Leaders inevitably change the areas they lead in an effort to improve their resilience, effectiveness, and ability to meet the needs of their stakeholders. As a result, academic leaders typically seek to become proficient at both reactive change (i.e., change that becomes necessary due to circumstances beyond their control) and proactive change (i.e., intentional change that seeks either to avoid potential problems or to secure potential benefits).

This entry provides an overview of leadership and change, exploring strategic planning and its alternatives (the strategic compass, scenario planning, and a renewed emphasis on systems instead of goals) and then discussing the importance of organization culture in any change process.