Academic Leadership Day by Day

It can seem at times as though all of academic administration today is focused only on the need for continual change and the endless pursuit of "the big idea." But most academic leaders, from department chairs and program directors through university presidents and chancellors, are far too busy helping their institutions flourish for them to divert critical energy and resources to yet another untried theory or management principle. Academic Leadership Day by Day takes an entirely different approach to developing your proven academic leadership: It introduces one practical and field-tested idea each day for an entire academic year. Rather than requiring you to devote days or even weeks to administrative training (which may prove to be of little use in the end), this manual gives you no-nonsense suggestions that you can consider on even your busiest days. Experiment with the suggestions made each day, discover what works for you, and then build on your successes for the benefit of your institution and its programs. Significant improvements often result from small, gradual, and consistent efforts, and Academic Leadership Day by Day is your guide to becoming a more accomplished, confident academic leader a few minutes at a time.

Autorentext

THE AUTHOR

JEFFREY L. BULLER is dean of the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University and author of The Essential Department Chair, The Essential Academic Dean, and The Essential College Professor.

Klappentext
EVERY DAY ACADEMIC LEADERS face desks, inboxes, and schedules stuffed full of meetings, emails, complaints, committees, requests, and the occasional crisisall competing for scarce time and attention. It's all too easy to lose the forest for the treesor vice versaand there are few resources that help leaders rise above the noise of busy lives in the academy.

Academic Leadership Day by Day is a hands-on resource designed to give busy, over-scheduled, and over-worked academic leaders at all levels a chance to pause a few moments for useful, wise, and warm-hearted advice. The book is filled with practical insight and suggestions for meeting the challenges of academic administration in a way that reflects how leaders really work. Drawn from both Jeffrey Buller's many years of experience as a department chair, dean, and vice president for academic affairs and feedback from his popular workshops, this handy resource offers both new and seasoned leaders one good idea each day, ideas that can be put into practice immediately. Jeffrey Buller presents suggestions that are designed to encourage leaders to experiment with and discover what works best for them. In just a few minutes each day, leaders can see how significant improvements result from small, gradual, and consistent efforts. From grappling with budget management to thinking about career advancement to navigating the tricky waters of institutional politics, Academic Leadership Day by Day is a daily companion to carry with you in the trenches of academic life.

Inhalt
Preface xiii

September 1

1 Take advantage of new beginnings 3

2 Know your limits 4

3 Read the biography of an exemplary leader 5

4 Attend a meeting just to listen 6

5 Review your program's publications 6

6 Reorder your tasks 7

7 Be a coach 8 8 Waste time 9

9 Learn from a bad decision 10

10 Reflect on respect 11

11 Provide an outlet for dissent 12

12 Tell your supervisor what you need 13

13 Learn more about today's college students 14

14 Convey some good news and some bad news 15

15 Describe your supervisor 16

16 Stopat least for a moment 17

17 Remember that it's not all about you 18

18 Share someone else's dream 19

19 Learn from what others teach 19

20 Evaluate without making value judgments 20

21 Be the change you want to see 21

22 Respect other people's time 22

23 Consider the first thing you do at work every day 24

24 Find the weakest link 25

25 Go back to the future 26

26 Lead by serving 27

27 Simplify something 27

28 Study interactions 28

29 Seek your own satisfaction 29

30 Read a boring book 30

October 33

1 Take stock 35

2 Ask questions 36

3 Exhibit candor 37

4 Remove one obstacle 38

5 Look around you 39

6 Have confidence 40

7 Attend a campus event 41

8 See people, not tasks, as your first priority 42

9 Nominate someone for an award 42

10 Discover new ways to manage stress 43

11 Move on 44

12 Assess your telephone style 45

13 Learn from a case study 46

14 Practice self-doubt 47

15 Speak to a chronic latecomer 48

16 Put agendas on your agenda 49

17 Recommend a good book 50

18 Raise awareness 51

19 Plot an escape 52

20 Be unique 53

21 Show someone you care 54

22 Question an assumption 55

23 Define leadership 56

24 Stay on message 57

25 Celebrate something 58

26 Open yourself to persuasion 59

27 Ask, ''Why?'' 60

28 Make time fly 61

29 Become your own life coach 63

30 Decide how you make decisions 64

31 Be frightened 65

November 67

1 Do something that really matters 69

2 Spend time with your best faculty members 69

3 Use only positive words 70

4 Discourage end runs 71

5 Know your legislators 72

6 Improve your telephone log 73

7 Envision a better future 74

8 Think holistically 75

9 Learn something new about academic freedom 76

10 Raise the bar 77

11 Expand access 78

12 Stop and smell the roses 79

13 Think like a novice 80

14 Seek common ground 81

15 Don't take it personally 83

16 Establish boundaries 84

17 Accommodate differences 85

18 Identify your biggest challenge 86

19 Make the first move 87

20 Reflect on the relationship between students and faculty members 88

21 Examine workload carefully 89

22 Discover new sources of administrative insight 91

23 Glow with pride 91

24 Embrace your greatest frustration 92

25 Build a team 93

26 Share your story 95

27 Clarify responsibilities 96

28 Change your environment 97

29 Take a chance on someone 98

30 Provide context 99

December 101

1 Prepare for the home stretch 103

2 Identify an opportunity 104

3 Remember that having fun matters 105

4 Don't sell beyond the close 106

5 Learn something new about tenure 107 6 Embr...