Leadership 101: Maximizing Board Effectiveness

(College Planning and Management, December 2010 - by Scott D. Miller and Marylouise Fennell)

Editor’s Note: Final in a series of six focusing on “Leadership 101,” issues of special interest to college presidents and trustees.

We too often forget that the administration of an institution consists of the appointed president and the volunteer Board of Trustees.  Working in tandem, they can effectively advance a college or university, if expectations are clear and each understands and observes its proper role.

Frequent miscommunications occur around how “hands-on” the Board should be in day-to-day institutional management, how to effectively evaluate volunteer leadership and especially, how to avoid real and perceived conflict of interest.

·         Roles and Expectations

Volunteer boards can and should frame “the big picture,” setting the stage for long-term success.  Trustees’ appropriate role is to hire, evaluate and support the CEO, holding him or her accountable.  They should not micro-manage day-to-day decisions such as hiring and evaluation of staff; these are properly the role of the president.  This represents a special challenge for trustees also serving on corporate boards, where the business model is often somewhat more hands-on.  As one of our most effective trustees recently remarked, “We (board members) knew what long-term strategies the college needed to pursue, but we had no idea of what tactical decisions needed to get there.”  He understood and clearly articulated that, in the words of a colleague, “My role is to steer the ship, not to set the course.” 

·         Ongoing evaluation

In our experience, boards are quick to evaluate CEOs; they are not always so quick to evaluate themselves. Yet both processes are necessary for effective governance.  We recommend a structured, systematic method for evaluating trustees by means of an executive nominating committee comprised of the current Board chair and vice chair and immediate past chair.  This group should evaluate attendance and participation of every board member as his or her term nears expiration. Likewise, we suggest an ongoing means of evaluating the effectiveness of Board committees by requiring each to set specific goals and timelines for achievement at the beginning of each academic year.

·         Orientation and Annual Review

After they join the Board, but before their first meeting, it is critical that new Trustees attend an orientation session clearly delineating their roles, responsibilities and expectations. Ethical and legal conduct and self-disclosure, such as the new Federal Accounting Standards Board (FASB) requirements, need to be thoroughly reviewed and clarified.  These affect the participation of board members from specific industries or institutions, who may need to recuse themselves from certain decisions. Thereafter, we recommend holding an annual retreat for all members to update them on new requirements and to refresh their collective memories.  There should be “no surprises” after joining the Board.

Moreover, trustees should be encouraged to keep abreast of best practice and trends in governance and philanthropy by reading current publications such as The Association of Governing Boards (AGB’s) Trusteeship to maximize their effectiveness.  Retreats can include discussion and application of such articles.

“Give, get or get off,” has long been a standard for expected Board performance, but these guidelines go well beyond that old adage, ensuring that Board members and CEOs are partners in institutional leadership.

           

When both clearly understand and implement their rules, roles and expectations, presidents and boards can maximize their effectiveness, minimize conflict and exert true leadership.

Dr. Scott D. Miller is President of the College and M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College in West Virginia.  Now in his third college presidency, he has served as a CEO for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM, a former president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA, is senior counsel for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and principal of Marylouise Fennell, Higher Education Services.

Leadership 101: Building Trust and Relationships

(College Planning and Management, October 2010 - by Scott D. Miller and Marylouise Fennell)

Editor’s Note: Fifth in a series of six focusing on “Leadership 101,” issues of special interest to college presidents and trustees.

Nothing is more essential to a presidency, especially in the first 90 days, than building trust, loyalty and enduring relationships.  In their zeal to demonstrate success and momentum, new CEO’s too often allow relationships to take a back seat to tasks.  This is a potentially lethal mistake because, as globally recognized expert on leadership Michael Maccoby, author of The Leaders We Need: and What Makes Us Follow, “Loyalty creates loyalty, and it is essential for a leader to have a loyal team.”

Leaders must be loyal to the people who work under them, adds Yash Gupta, dean of Johns Hopkins’s Carey Business School.

           

One of our longest-serving trustees, a nationally recognized leader in his industry, recently noted that in his 50-year career, “in those (divisions of) my organization where performance exceeded my expectations, it was always because of the personnel.

“I’ve learned to both hold (employees) accountable and to hold them in utmost respect,” he pointed out. 

In his new book, The First 90 Days, author Michael Watkins, emphasizes building a road map by negotiating success, achieving alignment, building your team and creating coalitions.

"The right advice and counsel network is an indispensable resource,” he says.

           

Here are some other things that we’ve learned are critical to effective team-building in young presidencies:

·         Listen and learn

Cultivate active listening skills – listening for meaning, observing body language, noting what is left unsaid-- are among the most crucial, and under-utilized, leadership skills.  A common thread among the countless tributes to the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, is that he listened to everyone, remembered and followed up on small details: birthdays, anniversaries and other significant milestones.  One long-time dean and professor who mentored dozens of students met with a prominent alumnus nearly 30 years after he had retired. The former recalled, “He must have asked questions for at least the first 30 minutes!”

·         Be visible

Don’t “hole up” in your office. Appear energetic, optimistic, futuristic, dedicated and visionary. In the first 90 days, we suggest: making contact with all of your main constituent groups, in person if possible; begin calling and visiting your top 50 donor prospect list; and visiting editorial boards of area newspapers. Eat in the cafeteria, walk the campus and attend campus events (even if on a “fly by” basis.)  Presidents sometimes mistakenly assume that their presence at a small campus athletic event, for example, won’t be missed; these occasions are very meaningful for students, families and young alumni.

·         Help everyone to win

Ask about sick children of staff; help a young faculty member. These small kindnesses will pay huge dividends later. Foster and cultivate relationships by twitter, e-mail, phone and hand-written personal notes. 

Continually network; we find that about two dozen key relationships keep giving back to us in support, counsel, affirmation and friendship.

·         Small gestures count

Finally, never underestimate the power of a small, symbolic gesture to forge ongoing loyalty.  “Small gestures can often mean more than sweeping ones,” notes Gary E. McCullough, president and chief executive of the Career Education Corporation. McCullough recounts the “Lesson of the 38 Candy Bars” from his former career as a U.S. Army platoon leader at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina:  “The commanding general asked a vehicle driver what he could do to improve conditions for him in the field….’Sir, I sure could use a Snickers bar,’ was the reply. A couple of days later, a box showed up for the private, filled with 38 Snickers bars, the number of soldiers in the platoon.  From that day onward, we would’ve followed that general anywhere!”

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Dr. Scott D. Miller is President of the College and M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College in West Virginia.  Now in his third college presidency, he has served as a CEO for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM, a former president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA, is senior counsel for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and principal of Marylouise Fennel, Higher Education Services.

Leadership 101: Negotiating a Win-Win Contract

(College Planning and Management, August 2010 - by Scott D. Miller and Marylouise Fennell)

Editor’s Note: Fourth in a series of six focusing on “Leadership 101,” issues of special interest to college presidents and trustees.

Former U.S. Senator and astronaut John Glenn and his wife, Annie, received a singular honor at Ohio State University’s season opener Sept. 5 in Columbus: they were among the few non-alumni band members to “dot the i” when the band spelled out “Ohio” on the field at halftime before more than 100,000 “Buckeyes” fans.

When negotiating a Presidential contract, it is critical to “dot the i’s and cross the “t’s” before signing, because you will never again be in as strong a negotiating position as you are at the outset of your tenure. Missteps at this stage can, at worse, doom a new presidency and at worse, place a cloud over it.  It’s much better to get it right the first time.

Unfortunately, new CEOs and trustees, under time pressure and not wanting to jeopardize the job offer, too often throw away this bargaining chip. We recommend:

·         Haste Makes Waste

Especially for first-time college presidents negotiating a new contract, we suggest not succumbing to pressures that may accompany an offer.

Rather, we suggest taking time and consulting neutral, knowledgeable outside sources to ensure an equitable contract for all concerned.  This is especially true when compensation issues arise, because “low ball” offers, once accepted, can be difficult to readjust to a president’s satisfaction later.  We’ve known presidents who accepted an offer, only to feel unfairly taken advantage of later when they realized that they could have realized a far more competitive salary.  “Sign in haste, repent at leisure,” is a good watchword for both parties to a presidential contract.

·         Seek Objective Third-Party Counsel

Our experience has demonstrated that direct contract negotiations between an incoming president and search committee may create undue friction between the two which can compromise a subsequent presidency.  We find that an experienced third person, who knows what other peer and aspirational institutions are likely to offer, can prevent unnecessary tension between the board leadership and new president while addressing critical issues. We recommend a knowledgeable higher education third party.  After the basic terms are committed to paper, a lawyer in the home state of the institution should review to ensure that all state and local laws are applicable. 

·         Protect Yourself and Your Institution

Too often, in their eagerness to attract strong candidates, institutions fail to protect themselves in contract negotiations.  Three-year contracts for a first-time presidency are, in our view, too long.  If the president and institution prove to be a poor fit, it will become apparent before the three-year mark.  It serves both parties badly to lock them into such a long time frame.  For the same reason, we recommend against a common practice of awarding tenured faculty rank in a first contract.  If one or both parties are unhappy, it serves neither to have a dissatisfied former president among faculty ranks.  Better to leave both free to move on if the relationship is not working.

·         Strive for a “Win-Win”

When negotiating a contract, especially for a first-time presidency, all parties should take the time and due diligence to ensure that terms are fair to all concerned.   The most enduring presidencies are built upon a foundation of mutual trust and respect, and the contract is a cornerstone of these values.  If terms are skewed against either the president or the institution, one or both will likely come to feel victimized later.  As in all partnerships, the only relationship worth pursuing is that of an equitable, well-considered “win-“win” for all concerned.

Dr. Scott D. Miller is President of the College and M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College in West Virginia.  Now in his third college presidency, he has served as a CEO for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM, a former president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA, is senior counsel for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and principal of Marylouise Fennell, Higher Education Services.

Leadership 101: Center of Gravity

(College Planning and Management, June 2010 - by Scott D. Miller and Marylouise Fennell)

Editor’s Note: Third in a series of six focusing on “Leadership 101,” issues of special interest to college presidents and trustees.

Medieval kings and queens were surrounded by courtiers whose continued residence at court, social standing and in some cases, their very lives, depended upon the goodwill of the monarch. Needless to say, these sycophants became extremely adept at telling the ruler what he or she wanted to hear.  College presidents in the 21^st century are also surrounded by courtiers; they are called alumni, faculty, staff and others who orbit CEOs.

           

Like their medieval counterparts, college and university presidents today need to maintain balance, perspective and focus because when many others’ lives revolve around decisions you make, it is easy to lose track of all three.  Here are three maxims that will help presidents to maintain a healthy center of both personal and institutional gravity:

·         Focus on a few key priorities;

·         Maintain a balance in professional and personal life;

·         Go home at night.

Prioritize

President’s “in” boxes, especially at the outset of their tenures, always seem to be overflowing, with each item marked “urgent.”  Unless you can develop a laser-like focus on three and not more than four priorities for your first year in office, you will be perpetually consumed by minutia, always reacting, managing from crisis to crisis.

Alan Webber, author and founding editor of Fast Company magazine, offers this fundamental rule of thumb in his latest book, Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Yourself:  “Ask the last question first. That is, ‘What’s the point of the exercise?”

 As Webber points out, many military campaigns have produced victory in every individual battle, while the wars themselves were lost.  In every instance, “the critical missing element to (those) ill-conceived wars was a lack of clear definition of victory.” If you don’t have a clear understanding of what you hope to achieve, how will you justify the time, energy and human and financial resources to commit to the effort?

Maintain Balance

The late French President Charles deGaulle once famously remarked that cemeteries are filled with “indispensable” men (and women.) Perhaps the best advice that any one ever gave us is this: “Remember, it will all still be there in the morning.”  Take care of yourself, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Take vacations and when you are away, be away. Humor, especially the self-deprecating kind, can reduce stress and provide needed perspective. Make time for friends and family, for they will keep you centered.  

Go Home at Night

A former West Coast president, on his arrival at a small liberal arts college, initially created shock waves when he announced that he would buy his own home off-campus rather than live in the President’s House.  “Everyone else at the university gets to go home at night, and I want to do that, too,” he explained.  The former president’s residence became a well-used space for alumni events, offices and gatherings, while the respected CEO in question went on to a long and successful presidency. Go home at the end of the day. 

In the end, effective leadership “is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results, not attributes.”  Incorporate this counsel from the late author and professional management consultant Peter F. Drucker, and your tenure will be productive. Remember, that you must provide institutional gravity; others will be looking to your words, actions and demeanor for inspiration and guidance.  

Successful leaders in all walks of life recognize that you can’t take care of others unless you first attend to your own needs.  While bringing enormous demands, long hours and often, undue stress, college presidencies offer nearly unparalleled opportunity to help others, especially students.  It’s one of the best jobs around!

Dr. Scott D. Miller is President of the College and M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College in West Virginia.  Now in his third college presidency, he has served as a CEO for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM, a former president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA, is senior counsel for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and a partner in Hyatt Fennell, Higher Education Services - The TCR Group.

Leadership 101: The Vision Thing

(College Planning and Management, April 2010 - by Scott D. Miller and Marylouise Fennell)

Editor’s Note: Second in a series of six focusing on “Leadership 101,” issues of special interest to college presidents and trustees.

New presidencies are more often derailed by “the vision thing” than by almost anything else, but not in the manner that many may think.  We suggest that too much vision, too soon can be damaging and should be deferred. If this counsel sounds counter-intuitive, please bear with us.

Under pressure from search committees to create momentum even before their terms even begin, new presidents often lay out big plans without taking time to listen, learn, study institutional history and culture and reflect. 

We advise:

·         Resist making big decisions too soon;

·         Listen actively and inclusively;

·         Capitalize on opportunities.

Resist making big decisions too soon

Presidents are, by their nature, men and women of action.  Introspection tends not to come naturally or easily to some. Coupled with external demands from many directions, this internal pressure is hard to resist.  Yet, we urge taking the time to settle into your new role and the organization before locking in a long-range plan.  Our colleague Kent Chabotar, the first non-Quaker president of Guilford College in North Carolina, used his first two years in office to develop the College’s current strategic plan. He says the time was essential in improving content and community buy-in of the plan once it was unveiled.  The more involved the college community is in development of a strategic plan, the more engaged it will be in its successful execution.

H.L. Mencken wrote, “There are many simple solutions to complex issues—and all of them are wrong.” Resist the impulse to resort to “obvious” solutions to the challenges facing your campus.

           

Listen actively and inclusively

Presidents coming into office with the benefit of recent or ongoing institutional research may be able to save time in the planning process. However, there is no substitute for face to face communication with key constituents, especially students and faculty. Holding regular office hours; using committees to recommend annual budgets, fringe benefit programs and facility renovations; and championing annual surveys of community climate builds support.  Though time-consuming, they build a strong base on which a new presidency can flourish. Short-circuit the planning process at your own risk.

New CEOs should also recognize that there are few secrets on college campuses. Never say anything in a private meeting that, as they say in Boston, could not be shown on the CITGO billboard overlooking Fenway Park or on the front pages of your local newspaper.

Capitalize on early opportunities

To paraphrase the acronym of a well-known fund-raising organization for women candidates, “early opportunities are like yeast.”  They help a presidency to succeed.  To establish credibility and momentum, therefore, we urge new presidents to defer “the vision thing,” but to actively seek individual opportunities—synergistic partnerships, alliances and niches consistent with the institution’s mission and culture.  Early in our presidencies, we were able to establish some “quick wins” with like-minded community organizations such as regional arts alliances that dramatically impacted our ability to recruit students and faculty while raising our community profile.  These windows can close quickly; often, if one president doesn’t strike while the iron is hot, a peer institution will.  Be alert to opportunities as they present themselves and act on them decisively.  Carpe diem.

            

“A successful life is not something you simply pursue; it is something that you create, moment by moment.”  Bill Strickland, who is president and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation and its subsidiaries and a true lion of Pittsburgh industry, delivered these remarks about building a meaningful life at the 2009 Bethany College of West Virginia Commencement. Substitute “successful life” for “successful presidency,” and you have a recipe for longevity.  By making neither small nor ill-considered plans while seizing opportunities moment by moment, you will create possibility, enthusiasm and enduring success. 

Dr. Scott D. Miller is President of the College and M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College in West Virginia.  Now in his third college presidency, he has served as a CEO for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM, a former president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA, is senior counsel for the Counsel of Independent Colleges (CIC) and principal of Marylouise Fennell, Higher Education Services.

Leadership 101: The First 100 Days

(College Planning and Management, February 2010 - by Scott D. Miller and Marylouise Fennell)

Editor’s Note: First in a series of six focusing on “Leadership 101,” issues of special interest to college presidents and trustees.

A president will never again have as much political capital as in the first 100 days in office.  Thus, it is vitally important that he or she gets it right during this critical “honeymoon” period. We continue to see promising presidencies derailed by overspending, over promising, under delivering, listening to the wrong people or worse, failing to listen at all.  Errors in judgment and execution at this point can doom a new CEO, irrevocably damaging a fledgling presidency.

Hence, some guidelines for surviving the tests imposed by the first 100 days, while emerging strong with leadership ability intact on the other side:

·         Appearances matter;

·         Words matter;

·         Processes matter.

Appearances Matter

Like all successful leaders, College presidents must understand and act on the adage that perception is reality when it comes to matters of personal conduct.  Thus, a president must not only be honest, modeling integrity for the entire community, but also, appear to be honest.  Like Caesar’s wife, he or she must appear beyond reproach.

More new campus CEOs have gotten into trouble over expenditure of institutional funds than over any other single issue. So, we must insist, don’t spend a lot of college money on personal expenses at the beginning of your presidency. Because we’ve seen many presidencies compromised by expensive redecorating and furnishing costs of residences, we recommend deferring heavy personal spending. If you feel you must, pay for these items out of pocket and consider requesting partial reimbursement later. Be prudent in travel expenses.  At all times, exercise sound stewardship of institutional time and treasure.

           

Words Matter

           

Be careful whom you listen to, and be equally attentive to how your words may be heard by others. Especially when you are a “newbie,” it is important to say what you mean and mean what you say because you are setting a precedent for your presidency.

           

Our valued colleague, Kent J. Chabotar, president of Guilford College in North Carolina, likes to tell the story of King Henry II of England. Becoming exasperated with Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170, the King unwisely exclaimed, “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?”  Much to the King’s chagrin and embarrassment, four over-zealous knights took him at his word, murdering Becket during services. When it comes to early public utterances, it pays to heed the time-tested principle articulated in Stephen R. Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

           

New presidents are besieged with requests and counsel from faculty, staff, donors, volunteer leadership and alumni; not all is equally valuable.  “Be wary of those who are the first to make appointments with you,” suggests Jim Hunt, provost and dean of the faculty at Southwestern University in Texas. He suggests that new presidents first research the history of any early requests before acting. The role of a college president, Hunt notes, is not to “hold things back,” but “to hold things within the scope of the institution’s goals.” Take time to listen and assess.

In the words of the late Peter F. Drucker, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection, from the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” 

           

Processes Matter

In their zeal to be productive and proactive, too many new presidents confuse action with leadership. As Drucker put it, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right thing.”  Although closed-door meetings may produce quicker decisions, counsel and buy-ins from campus constituencies establish a stronger foundation for long-term success.

           

It is critically important to give skeptics a seat at the table. As Chabotar wisely emphasizes, “If opponents cannot criticize presidents for individual decisions, they will surely try to ‘get you’ on the process.”  Don’t try to go it alone!

           

Dr. Scott D. Miller is President of the College and M.M. Cochran Professor of Leadership Studies at Bethany College in West Virginia.  Now in his third college presidency, he has served as a CEO for nearly 20 years.

Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM, a former president of Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA, is senior counsel for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) and principal of Marylouise Fennell, Higher Education Services.