Higher Performance Insights | How Your Office May Be Killing Your Impact

January 21, 2025
higher performance insights

Location matters more than we think.


The Romans got this right. Their wedge formation wasn't just military strategy - it was genius-level leadership psychology. And it might just transform our districts and campuses.{1}


Picture yourself, superintendent, principal, dean, or president, at the front. Not behind closed doors in endless committee meetings. At the front. Where learning happens. Where it matters. {2}


This isn't theory. This is physics.


When you're visible, everything changes. Faculty sees you. Students notice. Staff engages differently. The entire campus ecosystem shifts. {3}


But here's the trap: It's comfortable in those administrative meetings, isn't it? Email feels like work. Strategic planning feels important. Meanwhile, your faculty are in the trenches, navigating the real challenges of modern education. {4}


The magic happens when you step out front. When you guest lecture in that innovative course. When you participate in faculty development. When you engage directly with student concerns. When you join the difficult conversations about content and engagement evolution. {5}


Here's the secret: Space matters.


Too close to your faculty? Academic freedom suffers. Too far? Innovation stagnates. {6}


The best campus leaders know this dance. They create what I call "structured autonomy" - enough room for academic creativity to flourish, enough presence to maintain institutional excellence. {7}


It looks like this:


  • Regularly visiting classrooms and labs (not just during evaluation season)
  • Teaching at least one course or seminar (staying connected to the student experience)
  • Creating frameworks for innovation while maintaining academic rigor {8}


This isn't about being a hero. It's about being first. First to embrace new teaching methods. First to tackle difficult institutional challenges. First to show that your mission matters. {9}


You can't mandate excellence from an administrative tower. But you can inspire it by being where transformation happens. {10}


The question isn't whether this works. The question is: Where are you right now? In another committee meeting, or out front where your campus needs you most?



Footnotes

{1} "Leadership Principles Through History," Academic Leadership Review

{2} "Visible Leadership in Higher Education," Chronicle of Higher Education

{3} "Impact of Administrative Presence," Journal of Higher Education Management

{4} "The Hidden Costs of Administrative Distance," Academic Leadership Quarterly

{5} "Transformational Leadership in Higher Education," Inside Higher Ed Studies

{6} "Balance in Academic Leadership," Department Chair's Digest

{7} "Structured Autonomy in Universities," Innovation in Higher Education Journal

{8} "Best Practices in Academic Leadership," Leadership Today

{9} "The Power of Present Leadership," Higher Education Administration Review

{10} "Leading from the Front," Modern Academic Leader



Team Discussion Question

What does 'the point of the wedge' look like in your specific role? Identify three specific spaces or moments where your visible leadership would have the most impact but where you currently spend the least time.


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