Guest Column: Supporting Pathways to Leadership for Faculty

Guest Column: Supporting Pathways to Leadership for Faculty

By Laura HunterOffice of the Provost & Office of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence
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Laura Hunter
Laura Hunter

In the near future, more leadership positions will be opening for faculty, given the changing landscape of higher education and the fact that one of the largest cohorts in the history of the professoriate is facing retirement age.

Because the skills needed to be a good leader are often quite different than the skills needed to be a good faculty member, it's important for faculty to develop their leadership skills and capacities – no matter what career stage they are in.

The Office of the Provost and the Office of Diversity and Inclusive Excellence want to support faculty in that endeavor, and are particularly interested in supporting women and faculty of color given that they remain underrepresented in leadership roles on campuses across the country.

In an effort to help faculty better prepare for leadership positions, we are offering two workshops this week and next.

On Monday, the Office of the Provost will host a panel discussion called "Moving into Leadership Positions." This will be held from 12-1 p.m. in Harvill, Room 204. You can RSVP here.

During this discussion, three established leaders at the UA will talk about the challenges they faced on their own pathways to leadership, and will offer tips and strategies to develop leadership skills, successfully obtain leadership roles, and thrive as leaders. Time will be provided after their remarks for questions from the audience.

The three panelists are:

  • Lisa Ordóñez, vice dean at the Eller College of Management, McCelland Professor of Management and Organizations and McCelland Professor of Marketing.
  • Javier Duran, director of the Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry and professor of Spanish and Border Studies.
  • John Ehiri, department chair and professor in the Department of Health Promotion Sciences in the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Here are some thoughts Lisa Ordóñez shared about what she's learned while being a leader:

The most important thing I can say about leadership is that no one cares about how much you get done on your to-do list if you don't show you care about the people you lead. I say "show that you care" because you might honestly have a great deal of concern, but if they can’t see it, then it doesn't count. I spent 21 years focused on myself and my research program. I have had to make sure that I let everyone else get my attention.

I have also had to learn to listen. If you give your opinions first, then most will not tell you their true opinions. It might sound cliché, but walking around and talking to people helps you get a lot of very important information. And never make up your mind about what is really happening in a crucial situation based on one person's perspective. There are usually several drastically different opinions about the very same situation.

I have grown so much in my short one-and-a-half years in administration. I learn something new every day and I am having a blast. The main reason this job is so fun is because I get to make a difference. I accepted the position so that I can help my college, not because I like being the person "in charge." I think everyone who works with me can see that I want to find solutions that make sense for the entire college.

This is part of our Diverse Faculty Career Discussions, and while most events in this discussion series are only open to faculty and postdocs to facilitate peer mentoring, this event is open to graduate students as well. It can serve as an effective mentoring moment for faculty to bring their mentees. It's never too early to begin thinking about positioning yourself to become a leader. Faculty from all disciplines and backgrounds are welcome to attend.

The second workshop, happening tomorrow, will focus on addressing a common barrier to leadership, which is imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is common among high achievers, and it occurs when people are unable to accept their successes and internalize their accomplishments. They often attribute their accomplishments to luck rather than to ability, and they fear that others will unmask them as a fraud or imposter. It is a specific form of intellectual self-doubt, and those with impostor syndrome doubt their ability to repeat past accomplishments. You can read more in a past column here.

Imposter syndrome can be an important deterrent from positioning yourself to become a leader because you won't seek out opportunities or self-promote if you feel like an imposter. Last year when we launched the workshop on combating imposter syndrome, we had over 120 people RSVP, which shows just how common it is in academia. And while anyone can have imposter syndrome, it is more common among women and underrepresented groups.  

Please consider joining us for our workshop "Combating Imposter Syndrome in Academia" tomorrow from 12-1:30 p.m. in Old Main, Silver & Sage Room. You can RSVP for the workshop here. We're offering this workshop through our Campus Connections workshop series and it is co-sponsored by the Commission on the Status of Women's Faculty Affairs Workgroup. Faculty, staff and students are welcome.

Laura Hunter is coordinator of faculty development and associate diversity officer in the Office of the Provost.

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