Rethinking leadership in higher education: time for a new approach?

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Thoughts for a Friday afternoon…

  • Originally posted to LinkedIn: 21st March 2025 [Link]

The challenges facing Higher Education today – rising costs, student wellbeing, technological disruption, and the changing political landscape – require bold, adaptive, and people-centred leadership. In order to find a direction in this mix are we looking for solutions to solve the university of the past or are we looking ahead to ideas for the university of the future?

Leadership models and structures are being tested like never before; hierarchical structures, slow decision-making, or reliance on outdated strategies are struggling to keep pace with:

  • Changing student expectations: today’s students expect a high-quality experience, flexible learning, and career-ready skills. Not just degrees
  • Workforce & culture shifts: academics and professional staff are seeking collaborative, inclusive, and agile working environments to excel in
  • AI and technology: universities can no longer afford to be slow adopters. Digital transformation isn’t optional; it’s essential.

▶️ So, what kind of leadership does higher education need now?

  • Leaders who listen, not just manage: leadership in HE can no longer be about command-and-control. The best leaders are those who engage with students, staff, and stakeholders, creating a culture of trust, openness, and collaboration
  • Leaders who are adaptable and agile: gone are the days when universities could take years to implement change. We need leaders who embrace innovation, experiment with new models, and pivot when needed without waiting for a crisis to force their hand
  • Leaders who put people first: amid workload pressures, financial strain, and wellbeing concerns, leadership must be about more than individual or departmental KPIs or league tables. Compassion, emotional intelligence, and a real commitment to staff and student wellbeing should be at the heart of decision-making.

▶️ Are our leaders and/or leadership models keeping up?

The HE sector has no shortage of brilliant and creative minds, set on the task at hand to ‘solve’ the problems they face. Are we developing leaders who can truly navigate today’s challenges?

▶️ What kind of leadership does higher education need in 2025 and beyond?
How do we shift from traditional, bureaucratic leadership to agile, student- and staff-focused leadership?

☀️ What do you think universities need to change about their leadership approach right now? It’s a genuine question without, I’m sure you’ll agree, a single solution. The more we question ourselves, however, I’m confident we’re closer to an understanding and therefore a pot of solutions we can explore.

[ 📷 Photo adapted from by Steve Johnson on Unsplash]