The 5 Temptations Every Campus Leader Must Overcome (Or Become the Joke at the Dinner Table)

May 2, 2023

Most leaders I know (and serve) are struggling and wish for a better reality. 



  • “What happened to community trust?”
  • “How do I get my team back to full strength?”
  • “Since when did the arena of education become such a powder keg?”

The last few years have put that struggle into hyperdrive.


The current leadership landscape has twisted leaders into a bundle of tired and (at times) timid souls scrambling to find the skills and strategies they need to make progress.

check engine light

There have been loads written about tactics to reclaim your momentum, but not enough people are honest to talk about the temptations that predictably show up to struggling leaders. 


While ‘moral’ temptations are part of the equation, it’s more nuanced than that.


It’s easy to settle in and become hooked on maintaining the status quo when the going is easy, the numbers are decent, and nobody is breathing down your neck. Often to the point of cheating the practices and disciplines that built your winning trajectory. 


It’s also easy to fall into lazy leadership in seasons of struggle. Regardless of the reason, when you’re in a slump, you’re tempted to cheat in ways you weren’t when things are going well.


Here’s what you’ll likely be tempted to do under sloth or stress that will cause your team to poke fun of you at their dinner table.


1. Moving the goalposts

Moving the goalposts signifies insecurity and is a horrible leadership strategy when uncertainty rules the day. 


Great leaders and teams Plan, Do, Study, and ACT. 


Not ACTING is a common temptation for leaders and teams responsible for leading systems.


What do you do when data that used to make you smile now shows decline instead of progress?


A natural response is to shut your eyes and stop looking. 


Many leaders who track progress when their organization grows become immediately tempted to stop monitoring it when the growth stops. 


That’s a mistake.


Even worse, some leaders will move the goalposts toward comfort vs. courage. 


  • “Well, I know we used to track campus orientation visits, but that’s not important with everything else happening right now.”
  • “Let’s focus on the whole student experience instead of counting _________” (fill in the blank).


Can we be honest?  You never used to say that. 


Ever. 


And everyone around you knows it.


When you pretend that metrics no longer matter, you’re setting yourself up to become a victim of accidentalism. 


Intentionality and focus are the one-two punches for Higher Performance Systems. 


Compromising your expectation by lazily moving the goalposts is a terrible leadership strategy.


Practical Strategies to Reclaim Your Momentum and
Transform Team Performance


Enroll in the Lead Team Institute for the 2023-2024 academic year and Optimize Higher Team Performance.


Lead Team Institute
Enroll in the Lead Team Institute

2. Tamp Down the Vision

Another temptation leaders face when they’re struggling is to tamp down the vision.


Worse than moving the goalposts and changing how you keep score; average leaders are tempted to ignore the aims of the established vision for winning in the year ahead. 


This happens in many ways, but it predominantly surfaces when campus leaders say they’re committed to EXCELLENCE but have no way of measuring what that means from the student experience.


Example: We’re about making dreams reality.

  • Translation: We are currently struggling to provide programming and new partnerships due to our fixed program of study that can’t be changed in our current political climate. 


Example: Community is our middle name.

  • Translation: We would like to meet more of the local workforce demands, but that “W” word is not received well by the powerful voices of our faculty.


The best way to get off mission is to tamp down your vision by running for popularity over purpose.


3. Blame everyone but yourself

Poor leaders point blame. Higher Performance Leaders take responsibility.


It’s easy to blame others or forces beyond control when things are not going as hoped.


Here’s the whine list of excuses I hear from top leaders when things go south. 


“Our underperformance is because of:”


➜ COVID

➜ Lockdown

➜ The Economy

➜ The Weather

➜ The Campus Down the Street

➜ Your City

➜ Your Culture

➜ The White House

➜ The Supreme Court

➜ The Faculty

➜ The Administration

➜ The Board


Anything but Themselves.


Blaming others is a clear sign of weakness (not strength) in a leader.


Deep down, most leaders know they have not lost ALL control. 


Poor leaders deflect it. Great leaders own it.


4. Imagine yourself in a new system

When you’re struggling as a leader, it’s completely natural to want to escape.


You start to imagine yourself in a new job—any new job will do—and think about how much easier it might be if you did that rather than what you’re doing now.


The challenge with that thinking is that it leaks. Your people can sniff out when you start looking elsewhere. 


The fact is that every new team and system has issues. Often, the grass looks greener on the other side because THEY have a remarkable marketing department and because YOU haven’t gotten close enough to see the brown blades interspersed with the green blades. Not to mention the root rot found across every human system. 


Also, you bring yourself everywhere you go. This means you bring all your unresolved pain, challenges, unhealthy behaviors, and unresolved issues with you. 


In many ways, leaving a job you’re unhappy with is like leaving a marriage you don’t like. You imagine a new partner will be perfect, which is completely untrue (see above). Unfortunately, you (and your new team) bring your dysfunction into whatever you decide to do next.


Granted, there are times you might be called to leave. To everything…turn…turn…turn…


No one stays in a job forever.


Here’s the Big Idea to remember. You want to quit on a good day, not a bad day. And seasons of struggle are filled with bad days. 


If you’re not thinking clearly (and you’re not when you struggle), you’ll likely make a move you’ll regret later.


And because pain isolates you, you probably haven’t discussed this carefully with your wise people. You may be the only one who thinks leaving is a good idea. And if you’re the only one who thinks it’s a good idea, it’s probably not.


Curious about when it’s a good time to leave? Listen to these seven tell-tale signs: 


  • You’ve lost your passion.
  • There are no new partnerships you could get excited about.
  • You’ve impacted all the changes you can make.
  • Your vision no longer lines up with the system’s vision.
  • You feel indifferent toward your team and community.
  • Your excitement about what’s happening elsewhere is greater than your interest in what’s happening where you are.
  • Your inner circle agrees that it is time for you to fly.


5. Dulling instead of dealing with pain

When stress (and life) knock, you will answer it in a healthy way (self-care) or an unhealthy way (self-indulgence).


Usually, when I ask busy campus leaders how they’re doing, they admit they don’t take great care of themselves. 


When you don’t take great care of yourself, guess what you’ll do in almost every single case?


You end up falling into sensory indulgence —you soothe the pain with the “overs.” 


  • Overeating
  • Over drinking
  • Overworking
  • Over-exercising


The list is endless. Sensory indulgence involves doing anything you can to numb the pain without actually addressing the pain.


When stress and life overwhelm you, you will either respond to it in a healthy way (self-care) or an unhealthy way (self-indulgence).


But here’s the stinger: If you don’t intentionally choose self-care as a leader, you’ll default to self-indulgence. Your team will know if the ladder is true, and so might their dinner table.


The key to getting out of the struggle begins with recognizing that you’re in it.


Understanding your temptations makes it easier to avoid making the struggle worse.

Semester II is when you start planning for Semester I


This is one of the best opportunities to begin planning to accelerate your team’s performance.


For the past decade, I have served campus Lead Teams and know your system's performance is directly connected to your team's health (and smarts).


❓How’s your team’s communication and connection?
❓How’s the quality of your system’s alignment and execution?
❓What’s your plan for optimizing your Lead Team’s capacity?


As THE people leader for your system, I invite you and your leadership team to consider enrolling in the Lead Team Institute {LTI} for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Here is a quick link for more info.


This national initiative is designed to Optimize Higher Team Performance:


✅ Team Communication
✅ Team Connection
✅ Team Alignment
✅ Team Execution
✅ Team Capacity
✅ Reliable Systems


Our fall kickoff dates are filling up. Schedule your preferred fall kick-off date here.


Ready to reclaim your momentum and optimize Higher Team Performance?


Secure your spot today!


Dr. Joe Hill - Founder, Higher Performance Group


“Because everyone deserves to live in a community served by healthy teams and highly reliable systems.”

More Blog Articles

Higher Performance Insights | WHEN SMART LEADERS SOUND STUPID

July 2, 2025
The 7-Part Framework to Turn Your Bumbling Into Brilliance Here's what happened last Tuesday at a board meeting that was hard to watch. A brilliant superintendent with a post-graduate degree and twenty years of experience spent 45 minutes presenting their "comprehensive student achievement initiative leveraging pedagogical frameworks aligned with district strategic priorities." The board nodded politely. A parent in the back raised her hand: "Can you explain this so my 13-year-old would understand?" The superintendent couldn't. That challenging moment was a graduate course in communication: The most brilliant leaders use language a 13-year-old understands. Smart words are simple, scalable, and sustainable. Fancy words don't edify—they confuse. And to be unclear is to be unkind. Full disclosure: I LOVE words. Early in my career as a young executive, I felt I needed to use a fancy lexicon to prove my competence to my colleagues and community. I was that guy dropping "paradigmatic frameworks" and "synergistic methodologies" in every meeting. Then a colleague lovingly pulled me aside after a presentation and said, "Joe, I think you meant the etymology of this word, not the entomology... That's the study of bugs." No lie, that happened. And I've been on a professional learning track ever since to reform my language to be less fluff and more function. The Brutal Truth: Your Intelligence Might Make You Sound Unintelligent You're brilliant. Your degrees prove it. Your experience confirms it. Your results validate it. But here's what's happening: You sound smart, but communicate unintelligibly Your scholarly vocabulary creates barriers, not bridges Your complex explanations confuse the very people you're trying to help The research is clear: When people encounter complicated messages, they ignore them, seek simplified versions, or research meanings Your brain burns 20% of your body's energy despite being only 2% of your body weight Complex messages literally exhaust people—and exhausted brains don't make decisions The crushing reality: Every fancy word you use to sound smart makes you less effective as a leader. Where Brilliance Meets Clarity The most brilliant leaders pass this test: Can a 13-year-old understand what you just said? If not, you're not communicating intelligently—you're just showing off your vocabulary. Why this matters: It represents your community's actual literacy level It cuts through jargon instantly It forces you to focus on what actually matters It reveals whether you truly understand your own ideas "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." Einstein Most leaders fail this test spectacularly. Smart Words Are Simple: The Science Behind Clarity Meta-analyses of narrative transportation research prove that when people become deeply engaged with simple, clear messaging, they experience significant changes in: Attitudes Beliefs Behaviors The neuroscience of understanding: Simple language reduces cognitive load Reduced cognitive load increases comprehension Increased comprehension drives action Action creates results Your fancy words are literally working against your mission. The Team Intelligence Gap: When Smart People Communicate Stupidly Every confused message costs you: Students who don't apply because they don't understand the value Donors who don't give because they can't grasp the impact Faculty who don't engage because they're lost in the jargon The deeper problem: Your brilliant individual leaders are producing average team results because they've confused sounding smart with being effective. The brutal reality: 15 seconds—that's how long people scan content before bouncing If your message needs a translation, you've already lost When leadership teams can't communicate simply, initiatives die in complexity To be unclear is to be unkind to the very people you're trying to serve. The 7-Part Framework To Force Clarity What students want (in everyday language) The problem they face (no jargon, just truth) Why you understand (personal, not professional language) Your track record (results, not rhetoric) Three simple steps (if it's confusing, fix it) What to do next (one clear action) What's at stake (consequences they can picture) Test every sentence: Would your community understand this? From Scholarly Confusion to Simple Brilliance: Real Examples K-12 Transformation: Standards-Based Grading ❌ The "Smart" Approach (Actually Stupid): "Comprehensive Standards-Based Assessment Implementation Initiative" "As part of our commitment to educational excellence and aligned with district strategic priorities, we are implementing a comprehensive standards-based grading framework. This pedagogical shift represents a fundamental reimagining of our assessment paradigm, moving from traditional percentage-based evaluation metrics to proficiency-based learning progressions..." ✅ The Brilliant Approach (Human-Friendly): "Finally Know If Your Child Is Actually Learning" What parents want: You want to know if your child is ready for next year—not just their grade average. The problem: Your child brings home a "B" but you have no idea if they understand math or just turned in homework on time. When they struggle with algebra next year, you're blindsided. What we do: We teach each skill until your child masters it We report exactly which skills they've mastered and which they're still learning We give extra help on skills they haven't mastered yet The result: Schools using this approach see 23% better student performance and 40% fewer students needing help later. Higher Ed Transformation: AI-Powered Mental Health Support ❌ The "Smart" Approach (Actually Stupid): "Innovative Digital Wellness Ecosystem Leveraging Artificial Intelligence" "In response to evolving student needs and technological advancement opportunities, we are launching a comprehensive digital wellness ecosystem that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to provide personalized mental health support interventions..." ✅ The Brilliant Approach (Human-Friendly): "Get Mental Health Help Before You're in Crisis" What students want: You want to feel better without waiting three weeks for a counseling appointment. The problem: You're struggling with anxiety or depression, but you're not "sick enough" for crisis help. You suffer alone until things get really bad. What we do: Text our AI counselor anytime, day or night (completely private) Get immediate help tailored to your specific situation Connect with human counselors when you're ready The result: Universities using this system see a 60% decrease in students in crisis and a 45% increase in students completing their degrees. The Pattern Every Brilliant Leader Must See Notice the transformation: Confusing messages focus on the institution and use big words to sound impressive Clear messages focus on the person's problem using words they actually use The brilliant leaders understand: Smart words are simple words Simple words are scalable across all audiences Scalable words create a sustainable impact Sustainable impact is the only measure of true intelligence If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough to lead it. The ROI of Speaking Clearly The numbers prove clarity wins: Organizations with simple, clear messaging see email marketing returns of $36-$40 for every dollar spent Systems that test their messaging for clarity generate ROI improvements of up to 760% Teams that communicate simply create breakthrough performance that scales Your fancy vocabulary isn't impressing anyone—it's costing you everything. Transform Your Team's Communication Intelligence The Clarity Test Step 1: Take your most important initiative Step 2: Explain it in simple, human language Step 3: If you can't, you don't understand it well enough to lead it The gap between complex and simple is the gap between failure and success. Three Questions Every Brilliant Leader Must Answer Would any parent understand what problem this solves? Can anyone follow the steps to solve it? Would people actually care about the outcome? Team Intelligence Discussion Protocol For your next leadership team meeting: The Clarity Audit: Have each team member explain your most important campus initiative in simple, everyday language Compare responses—how different are they? Which explanations would actually help someone? The Jargon Purge: List every fancy word you use to describe your work Replace each with a word a 13-year-old knows Test the new version with actual people The Kindness Check: Review your current website, emails, and presentations Ask: "Are we being kind to the people we're trying to help?" Remember: To be unclear is to be unkind The Choice Every Brilliant Leader Must Make You can sound smart or be effective. You can impress colleagues or help students. You can use fancy words or create real change. You cannot do both. "I would not give a fig for the simplicity that exists on this side of complexity; but I would give my life for the simplicity that exists on the far side of complexity." —Oliver Wendell Holmes The most brilliant leaders consistently choose clarity over complexity. They've done the hard work of mastering complexity so they can deliver simplicity. They've wrestled with the big ideas so they can explain them in small words. They've earned the right to speak like a human being instead of a textbook. Because smart words are simple words. Simple words scale. Scalable words create sustainable impact. And sustainable impact is what brilliant leadership actually looks like. Ready to Lead with True Intelligence?  Stop hiding your brilliance behind big words. Start communicating with the clarity that creates change.

Higher Performance Insights | ARE YOU CALLED OR CONFUSED?

By HPG Info • June 24, 2025
Why 70% of Campus Leaders Are Burning Out—and How to Join the 30% Who Aren't Are you well placed? Here's what the latest research won't tell you: Turnover rates for top leadership positions in higher education have reached an unprecedented high of over 20% between 2022 and 2024. But here's the part that should keep you awake at night—most of these departures aren't about budget cuts or external pressures. They're about leaders who never found their sweet spot. The difference between leaders who thrive and those who burn out comes down to one question: Where do your abilities, your affinities, and your opportunities intersect? Remove any leg from this three-legged stool, and the whole thing topples. Get all three aligned, and you've discovered what researchers call your "calling"—which correlates with "feelings of satisfaction, efficacy, and meaningfulness" and can even "improve career performance." The Campus Leadership Crisis Nobody's Talking About Walk through any university today, and you'll see the symptom everywhere: smart, capable leaders spinning their wheels. They're managing budgets, faculty relations, student experience, accreditation, fundraising, and community partnerships. Always moving, always busy. But busy doesn't equal effective. Harvard's 2024 Global Leadership Development Study found that 70% of leaders say it's important to "master a wider range of effective leadership behaviors." Still, the real challenge isn't learning more skills—it's knowing when and how to deploy them. The leaders who actually transform institutions have learned something counterintuitive. In an age of infinite demands, the most powerful strategy is focus, not addition. They've built their leadership around three non-negotiable pillars. Pillar One: Your Abilities (What You're Actually Good At) This isn't about your job description or what you wish you were good at. Research on leadership effectiveness in higher education identifies "13 forms of leader behavior that are associated with departmental effectiveness"—but here's the kicker: no single leader excels at all thirteen. Your abilities might include: Reading complex organizational dynamics Building bridges between competing factions Translating academic vision into practical action Connecting authentically with students Navigating political complexities Turning around struggling departments The ability test is simple: What do colleagues consistently ask for your help with? What work feels effortless to you but seems difficult for others? Recent research highlights "the essential attributes of effective higher education leadership, including personal, interpersonal, teaching, and academic capacities," but self-awareness isn't optional here. It requires honest assessment and feedback from people who've watched you lead. Pillar Two: Your Affinities (What Energizes You) Affinity goes deeper than interest. Researchers define this as what you "find meaningful beyond financial rewards" and note that individuals who identify this report "higher job satisfaction, higher job performance, less job stress, and longer tenure." It's what you naturally gravitate toward even when no one's paying you to do it. The problems you think about in the shower. The work that doesn't feel like work. In campus leadership, this might be: Helping first-generation students navigate college Building innovative academic programs Solving complex resource allocation puzzles Mentoring emerging faculty Creating campus-community partnerships Advancing research that matters Affinity is your sustainability engine. But research also warns of the "dark side" of pursuing a calling—when people experience "regret, stress, or disappointment when they recognize a calling but it goes unfulfilled." Without genuine affinity, you'll burn out. With it, you'll find energy even in the hardest seasons. Pillar Three: Your Opportunities (Where the World Needs You) This is the reality check that prevents noble dreams from becoming expensive failures. Opportunity requires understanding your specific context: What does your institution need? Your community? Your students? Educational institutions face "dramatic systemic change" requiring "radical responses" from leaders who must balance "organizational functions that call for stability with those that demand creativity and adaptation." Right now, our educational landscape faces unprecedented challenges: Declining enrollment and funding pressures Questions about ROI and career relevance Technology disruption and digital transformation needs Mental health crises among students Workforce preparation for rapidly changing economies The opportunity question is: Where do these real needs intersect with your unique context and capabilities? The Research-Backed Sweet Spot Effect When all three pillars align, something remarkable happens that the data supports: Clarity emerges. Research shows that "career calling" serves as "a positive resource promoting vocational development and well-being." Energy increases. Leaders who experience their careers as a vocation demonstrate increased "courage," which "plays a mediating role between career calling and well-being indicators." Impact compounds. Studies reveal "a significant relationship between leadership styles in education institutions and academic staff's job satisfaction," with transformational leadership showing the strongest correlations. Others rally. Research on teaching and learning leadership reveals that effective leaders prioritize "communication within and between communities of scholars and on working together, with the aim of achieving goals." This isn't about finding the perfect job title. As research on calling demonstrates, it's about distinguishing between a general or primary calling and a relationship with the soul’s inner need for worthy work, loving community, and reclaimed suffering within a particular vocational path. Your Assignment (Backed by Science) Before your next leadership meeting, grab three sheets of paper: Sheet 1 - Abilities: List 5-7 things you're genuinely good at in your leadership role. Research suggests asking trusted colleagues what they see as your strengths, as "surprisingly little systematic research has been conducted on which forms of leadership are associated with departmental effectiveness." Sheet 2 - Affinities: Write down what aspects of your leadership energize you most. Research shows that "purpose can be an important component in the career decision-making process," and individuals who find their work meaningful report better outcomes. Sheet 3 - Opportunities: Identify the 3-5 biggest needs your institution faces where leadership could make a real difference. Studies show that the most significant challenges center around "strategic leadership, flexibility, creativity, and change-capability" as well as "responding to competing tensions." Now look for overlap. Where do all three intersect? That intersection might be your calling as a campus leader. The Three-Pillar Truth With leadership turnover at unprecedented highs and "intense pressures and challenges leaders face in the sector," your institution doesn't need you to be good at everything. It requires you to excel at something that matters, something that energizes you, something the world actually needs. Build your leadership on those three pillars. Everything else is just noise. YOUR TURN: Team Discussion Questions Want to transform individual insight into institutional change? Use these questions with your leadership team: Round 1 - Individual Reflection (10 minutes) Each team member privately identifies their top 2-3 items in each circle: What leadership abilities do you bring that others consistently seek out? What aspects of campus leadership genuinely energize you? What institutional challenges could your leadership meaningfully address? Round 2 - Team Mapping (15 minutes) Create a shared whiteboard with three columns. Have each person share one item from each circle. Look for: Ability Gaps: Where are we missing crucial leadership strengths? Passion Overlap: What energizes multiple team members? Opportunity Blind Spots: What institutional needs aren't we addressing? Round 3 - Strategic Alignment (10 minutes) Identify the sweet spots where individual team members' three circles align with institutional priorities. Ask: Whose abilities should we be leveraging more strategically? Are we deploying people in roles that match their affinities? What opportunities require us to restructure leadership responsibilities? The goal isn't perfection—it's clarity about how to deploy your leadership capital most effectively.
Show More