Excellence is not enough - leadership conversation
- Wits University
Diverse views and experiences brought to the table as heads of school and mid-career academics tackle big questions around leadership.
Emerging leaders at the University participated in a dialogue titled Leadership conversations: Thinking and strategising together for Wits, designed to generate awareness and strategies around structural and cultural factors that influence mid-career academics at Wits.
Hosted on 28 May, the leadership conversation was a crucial engagement for emerging leaders who are part of the Enhancing Mid-career Academic Transitions (EMCAT), a leadership programme at Wits.
Working in groups, EMCAT participants alongside current leadership wrestled with six questions at the heart of the academy. The role of culture came out as a dominant theme in the discussions.
Excellence is not enough
Diving into the question of how can nurturing habits towards staff and students be encouraged and acknowledged in the University eco-system?
Participants argued that excellence on its own is not sufficient to build a sustainable university, thus other factors need to take equal prominence. This statement was made in relation to the university conundrum of measuring excellence through research publications resulting in the neglect of nurturing habits that may promote holistic learning and teaching student success. The book The soul of a university: Why excellence is not enough by Chris Brink was used as a reference point and a must read for university leadership.
Answering the question about how the university can create a work-life balance? Discussants offered that Witsies do not take enough advantage of the wealth of knowledge that resides within its own internal community, pointing to collaboration opportunities as one of the solutions to address ‘overwhelm’.
Discussants also called for the return to the basics and creating more space for open discussions and conversations where there’s an exchange of coping strategies. The human factor and social connections also came into sharp focus as conversation oscillated to what creates a happy work environment underscoring a desire for community initiatives that contribute to social cohesion and promote wellness.
Leadership
Participants further stressed the significance of a relational leader who is able to build relationships across the different corridors at the university. Such qualities inspire and draw talent from different backgrounds to work towards a common purpose.
In his concluding remarks Prof. Garth Stevens, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: People Development and Culture shared five leadership lessons.
“Embody the institution that you represent. Treat people as equals. Delegate responsibility to those who know more than you.”
While is it important to take people along with you some situations require leaders to be decisive and ruthless, he said.
His parting shot was every leader should know when it’s time to leave noting that leaders are ‘temporary custodians’ of institutions.
必博娱乐,比博娱乐网址 EMCAT
EMCAT is a collaborative effort by the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development, the Transformation & Employment Equity Office, and the Research Office and supports mid-career academics as they transition towards institutional and Higher Education leadership. Launched in 2022 with funding from the Carnegie Foundation, candidates are enrolled in the 18 months programme and undergo leadership training in teaching, research and academic citizenship. The Early-Career Academic Development programme (ECAD) launched in 2015 precedes EMCAT.
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