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Leading the Way: Key Principles of Effective Leadership in Higher Education

September 10, 2020

Leading the Way Key Principles of Effective Leadership in Higher Education 1

Introduction

In this blog post, we’ll explain more about Effective Leadership in Higher Education.

Why it is important and how does the role of a leader influence people to get passionate and motivated about what they do.

Before we start, let’s ask ourselves one simple question – What makes a good leader?

A good leader is someone who can motivate and encourage others to reach their full potential.

This sounds so good, but you’ll probably think that you need to be “Born this way” – I have great news for you, now you can learn how to become one online.

Why is Leadership in Higher Education so Important?

To begin with, the role of leadership in higher education is to create a vision of academic achievement for all students.

The leader should respond to what their followers need and want and offer them a sense of security. Also, provide a receptive learning environment for followers to feel safe and gain trust and a good relationship with them.

What Qualities Are Required For Effective Leadership in Higher Education?

If you want to become a competent leader, you’ll need to have some leadership traits to get successful in what you:

For starters, you need to have a passion for the profession. In other words, you need to love what you do, in order to stay motivated and follow the path to your final goal.

Good communication skills are necessary for an effective leader, as well as listening and proving engagement with the different ideas of others.
One of the leadership characteristics in higher education that is pretty necessary is discipline. It is demonstrated through a strict procedure that’s usually needed to accomplish a task.
Divergent thinking is also really important. This means that you need to motivate yourself and others, to think big and imagine all the possibilities that can be done through hard work and dedication.
Another thing is knowing when to take the risk. You need to estimate the potential profits and losses of each risky choice that you are making. You need to get out of your comfort zone to become a great leader.
Flexibility is one more skill that is a plus for every leader. As a flexible leader, you’ll need to have the potentiality to change and reorganize your plans to match a given situation.

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What Are The Leadership Styles in Higher Education?

When talking about Leadership Styles, there are some different approaches to this subject. Future leaders have a variety of leadership models to choose from and determine the way they want to lead others:

The first one is Autocratic or Commanding style. This type is all about tight control, and the leader who uses this style believes that he or she knows more than others. The autocratic style was used more in the past and can have a more negative effect on followers.
The second one is the Authoritative or Visionary style. It’s usually connected to confident leaders who move people to a common goal. The leader shows his followers where they are going but leaves it up to them to realize how they’ll get there.
Democratic leadership style is about seeking follower’s opinions about the decision and leaders rely more on listening then directing.
Next style is Pacesetting, in this style, leaders expect brilliance from their followers and push them to do hard and fast towards their goal. This style is effective when needed to get high-quality results quickly, but can be stressful.
The Coaching leadership style focuses on evolving others for future success. Leaders seek to push people’s potential. This type of style has a positive influence on followers because it’s motivating and sets trust.
The Affiliation leadership style connects people to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings. The leader becomes close and personal with people. It’s all about supporting the emotional needs of his or her followers.
Laissez-Faire style is the opposite of Autocratic style and it gives people “wings to fly” and make decisions on their own. The leader who uses this style may seem like he or she has trust in followers but it can often lead them in the wrong direction. This type of style can work if followers are highly skilled and experienced.
Servant Leadership, it takes the focus from the end goal to followers of a leader. The leader believes in the process and puts trust in his followers. This type of leadership is focused on the needs of followers and not on the final goal.
Transactional Leadership is similar to a business transaction – “You give me something and I’ll give you something in return”. This type of leadership works, but, in higher education, it’s not always like that. Money is often not a motivation for employees, because they see their greater purpose.
The last, but probably the most effective and used style is Transformational Leadership. Leaders use knowledge, competence, and vision, and this represents the most precious model of leadership because followers are given the opportunity to change, reshape, and develop themselves as contributors.

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Which Leadership Issues in Higher Education Are There?

Some leadership challenges need to be mentioned:

There is a definitive talent shortage when talking about leadership in higher education. Many of the leaders in higher education are at the end of their careers and there is a need for younger and educated leaders to come.

Another main concern is a disruption between work and personal life, with extra academic duties stick into personal and family time.

Need for leaders to take risks which are now higher than before and to solve a problem in the fastest way possible. Oftentimes this can be pretty stressful.

To sum up, to be the best leader in higher education possible, you need to have the knowledge and proper education. Don’t worry you can have it all! You can now become a competent leader and learn 100% online at your own pace, giving you flexibility and convenience to complete the program while on the job.

If you feel the need to learn new skills and level up your expertise, download our prospectus, and learn more about the program.

For any additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact us, we’ll be more than happy to help you.

Download our prospectus

4 Responses

lasertest

October 29, 2020 at 7:49 am

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Great website, keep it up!

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1. CBU ECAMPUS Editorial Team
  
  December 29, 2025 at 12:22 pm
  
  Thank you very much for your kind words 🧡
  We’re delighted to hear that you enjoy the platform and the opportunity for people to share their views. Your encouragement means a lot to us, and we will continue working to provide engaging and valuable content.
  
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Anonymous

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1. CBU ECAMPUS Editorial Team
  
  December 29, 2025 at 12:20 pm
  
  Thank you very much for your kind feedback 🧡
  We’re thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying the information on our site and appreciate you sharing it with your followers. Your support and encouragement mean a lot to us! We look forward to continuing to provide valuable content for your learning journey at CBU eCampus.
  
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