Self-Management for Chief Academic Officers and Other University Administrators

Dancing in the Rain sounds like a romance novel, and more than a dozen books share that title, several of them fitting the bill. But it also belongs to one of my favorite leadership books: Jerome Murphy's "Dancing in the Rain: Leading with Compassion, Vitality and Mindfulness in Education."

Murphy is the Harold Howe II Professor of Education, Emeritus at Harvard University, where he also served as Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His book, which appeared ten years ago, is a resource manual for anyone in higher education, especially administrators. It is chock-full of sound advice, practical tips, and exercises that help professionals stay grounded even in the midst of difficulties. He compares that with a dance. In fact, he introduces what he calls the My Dance framework. As it turns out, My Dance is an acronym that stands for Mind Your Values, Yield to Now, Disentangle from Upsets, Allow Unease, Nourish Yourself, Cherish Self-Compassion, and Express Feelings Wisely.

Murphy devotes one chapter to each aspect of his acronym and shows that while the individual components of the framework are beneficial on their own, they have a compounding effect when used together. The underlying principle is mindfulness, whose positive impact on one's mental and physical health, especially Jon-Kabat Zinn's Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction curriculum, has been meticulously studied for years.

Keeping your emotions in check should be a basic, non-negotiable characteristic of any leader. However, as we know, that is not always the case. Emotions can run high when enrollment targets are not met, grant funding doesn't materialize, angry students and their parents knock on your door, a professor wreaks havoc at a faculty meeting, or a program loses its accreditation. While the people you encounter may lose their temper, as the chief academic officer, you have to stay focused and can't be swept away in the sea of emotions. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to have a profound impact on self-regulation. I recommend joining a reputable meditation group that meets regularly, either in person or online. This ensures long-term consistency, guidance, and accountability. Like with any practice, meditation has to be practiced on a regular basis to show the desired effects.

When I was provost at a previous institution, one of my predecessors started a new tradition with the blessings of the president at the time: The last Friday of every month was Retreat Day. He would not work on those days, nor would he be found on campus. He always escaped to a monastery nearby, where he spent the day away from all the noise. While I often used my Retreat Days for writing and research, I did take some completely off, which felt like therapy in and of itself. Another perk was that every summer, I had a mini-sabbatical, which was essential in working on longer projects, such as two edited volumes. If you are the remaining finalist for a provost position, I would recommend negotiating Retreat Days and/or a regular mini-sabbatical.

Protect your weekends if you can. Some campuses follow a strict rule of avoiding non-urgent communication over the weekend. I often catch up with email on weekends, but I make sure that my emails get sent on the next business day instead of right away. If you lead by example, your direct reports will be more likely to set similar boundaries, knowing that they don't have to respond to your emails right away.

In order to truly recharge, you need to take time off and be unreachable, at least for the most part, when you are on vacation. Of course, you should ensure that your assistant and the president can reach you if there is an emergency that requires your involvement. Otherwise, give yourself permission to step away and allow your team to handle day-to-day matters in your absence.

This time away is important because the work of a provost requires constant decision-making, problem-solving, and navigating complex issues across campus. Like many senior leaders, chief academic officers often manage complicated personnel situations and competing priorities that can be both time-consuming and emotionally taxing. Creating space to recharge will help you return with the focus and energy needed to lead effectively.

A sine qua non for a healthy workplace is psychological safety. Unfortunately, according to a survey Jason Lynch conducted in 2020, more than 50 percent of faculty and staff do not experience psychological safety in their institutional contexts. Given this statistic, it is not surprising that chief academic officers, too, may find themselves in toxic workplace environments. What do you do if the president you report to turns out to be toxic? What if cabinet meetings and your one-on-ones with your president lack psychological safety? What if the cabinet you are a part of exhibits one, some, or all five dysfunctions of a team that Patrick Lencioni famously wrote about? How is your mental and physical health impacted if you constantly must watch your back, not knowing that something you said or something that was reported triggers backlash?

If you find yourself in a toxic work environment, don't try to deal with it by yourself. In his book, "Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change," Tod Bolsinger, a consultant who is also a Presbyterian (PCUSA) pastor, writes, "to lead alone is reckless and arrogant. [...] [T]o lead a people without partners and mentors, full support of family and friends, and a lifetime commitment at every moment that you are leading of being in either psychological therapy, coaching, spiritual direction, or mentoring would be considered leadership malpractice" (his emphasis). For a chief academic officer, having an executive coach, a therapist, or a mentor is an essential practice to follow, even in a healthy institutional context. But especially when dealing with constant stress, psychological strain, and volatility at work, offloading the emotional baggage with a coach and/or therapist rather than with one's significant other is advisable. The coach and/or therapist can also provide an outside perspective, helping one to decide if leaving the institution is the best option.

There are many reasons why the average tenure of a provost is between four and five years. Leaving a toxic workplace is one of the reasons why provosts leave their positions prematurely. Derailment is another one. Can derailment be prevented? This will be the topic of my next blog post.

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#### The essential guide for provosts navigating leadership, strategy, and crisis in today's complex higher education landscape.

The role of the provost -- the chief academic officer -- has never been more critical or challenging. Tasked with overseeing the academic mission of colleges and universities, provosts manage a wide range of responsibilities, from guiding institutional strategy and resource allocation to navigating faculty relationships, student success, and increasingly complex crises. The Chief Academic Officer's Handbook is an essential resource for those stepping into this demanding role as well as seasoned leaders seeking new strategies and perspectives.

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