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Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education

Brown Bag Forum
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Characteristics of Successful Leaders in Higher Education

Harry Peterson
President Emeritus, Western State College of Colorado
Former Chief of Staff, Chancellor's Office
Emeritus Affiliate, WISCAPE
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Harrison Parlor, Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Avenue
This program is free and open to the public.


Conventional wisdom suggests that new leaders begin their jobs with a "honeymoon," a grace period that affords a certain number of credits to be used in triggering change. Over time, leaders use these credits up, acquire critics, lose influence, and eventually must move on.

But experience and study show that this need not be the case, according to Harry Peterson, a former president of a small college, long-time administrator in higher education, and author of Leading a Small College or University: A Conversation That Never Ends (Atwood Publishing, 2008).

Effective leaders use up some of their influence early on in their tenure, but strengthen it later through constant interactions with constituents and development of organizational goals based on what they learn from these interactions.

Some leaders can do this, Peterson says, but most are not very good at it.  For those who wish to excel in this process, Peterson will identify the common characteristics of leaders who are able to make changes while retaining and strenghtening support from their constituents. 

While much of the discussion will be about successful college and university presidents, these skills and ways of thinking are essential in any leadership position.

Submitted by Deb Cutler on October 16, 2008

This article appears in the categories: Campus Events

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