What are the demands of being a dean? What leadership development do
deans need as they progress through their academic careers? How are
their responsibilities changing? What are institutions looking for in
applicants?
This book identifies the range of leadership skills required, and
illuminates the process of building leadership capacity, by drawing on
interviews with over 50 sitting deans, both women and men; on the
insights derived from conducting professional development seminars for
several hundred deans; and on the authors' 48 years of collective
experience in eight different deanships.
The abundant examples and accounts of individual deans' leadership
successes and failures, and the competences they developed along their
career paths, give the reader a taste of what the deanship is really
like--and how the role changes
over time.
In the process of gathering their data, and tracing their own and
others', administrative journeys, the authors found similarities in how
deans progress as leaders, in the common rites of passage they
encounter, and in the evolution of their role. They describe the stages
or "seasons" of the deanship, ranging from getting started - the first
three years of deanship (springtime), to hitting your stride - years
four to seven of deanship (summer), and keeping the fire alive - eight
years and beyond of deanship (fall), through to planning to step down
and leaving the role (winter).
What also emerged from the authors' research is that most deans come to
their positions without leadership training, without prior executive
experience, without a clear understanding of the ambiguity of their new
role, or its responsibilities. This book fills a void by offering
guidance on applying for a deanship, preparing for the role, and
purposefully building the needed skills and knowledge.
For anyone considering taking on a deanship, this book offers a unique
window into the role. For sitting deans, it offers a compass for shaping
the trajectory of their careers.
