We’ve spent plenty of time talking about disruption in higher education, but today I want to name something even more pressing. We don’t have a shortage of disruption. We have a shortage of leadership.
Faculty, staff, and students are all telling me—and maybe you’ve said this too—our leaders are invisible, decisions feel reactive, and we’re left to figure things out on our own.
In fact, a 2023 survey of more than 3,000 faculty and staff found that trust and morale are directly tied to leadership visibility and communication. And right now, too many people say they’re operating without both.
So let’s talk about leadership in the gap today: what it looks like, why it matters, and how you can step into it, whether you hold the title or not.
Naming the Gap
Let me share a story that reflects dozens of coaching conversations I’ve had.
Dana, a mid-level administrator, told me: ‘I feel like my dean is in hiding. We get emails, but no direction. My team is exhausted. And I’m stuck in the middle, trying to keep everyone afloat.’
That sense of drift? It’s not just Dana. In higher ed today, when leaders go quiet, the community fills in the story with its own anxiety.
And research confirms it: in one study published in the Open Journal of Leadership, most women in higher ed reported their trust in leadership hovered around neutral—not high, not low, just uncertain. And as we know, uncertainty breeds doubt.
Reflection: Where do you see the leadership gap most clearly in your role or on your campus?
Naming the gap is important—but even more important is asking: what kind of leadership fills it?
Clarity
Think of a stormy sea. The captain doesn’t control the waves, but they can point to the lighthouse and say, ‘That’s where we’re headed.’
On one campus, a president began every meeting with the same anchor: ‘Our priority this year is stabilizing enrollment while protecting student belonging.’ Simple, repeatable, and grounding.
It mattered because the leadership pipeline itself is fragile. According to the American College President Study 2023, the average president is about 60 years old, and nearly half expect to step down within the next five years. That kind of turnover means clarity isn’t optional—it’s the glue that outlasts any one leader.
Reflection: What’s your one-sentence anchor for this semester? Say it out loud. Notice how it feels.
Courage
Courage in leadership isn’t bravado. It’s the willingness to say the hard truth—and then invite people into it.
A department chair I know didn’t sugarcoat budget cuts. She said to her faculty: ‘Yes, it’s real. Yes, it will hurt. But here’s how we’ll decide together what to protect.’
That honesty—paired with a process—turned fear into shared ownership.
The Academic Impressions survey I mentioned earlier found that low trust in leadership is most strongly linked to whether leaders communicate with transparency and courage. In other words, people can handle tough news. What they can’t handle is silence.
Reflection: Where do you need to show more courage this semester—naming the real issue, setting a boundary, or calling people back to what matters?
Capacity
Here’s another example: a VP stretched across ten committees, expected to solve every crisis. Brilliant—but exhausted. And when the leader burns out, the team does too.
Capacity isn’t about doing more. It’s about building systems and teams that can hold the weight together.
Who Leads, How Long, and Why It Matters
Let’s zoom out for a moment. The conversation about capacity isn’t just personal—it’s structural. Who is leading? How long do they stay? And why do they leave?
According to the American College President Study 2023, two-thirds of presidents are men, nearly three-quarters are white, and the average president is 60. More than half say they expect to step down within five years. That’s a wave of turnover coming fast.
On paper, women and people of color are gaining ground. But the reality is more fragile. Research shows that women leaders—especially women of color—often spend less time in these roles than their white male counterparts. Why? Because they’re judged more harshly, evaluated against narrower ideas of what ‘real leadership’ looks like, and given less margin for error.
When I was in a fellowship for underrepresented scholars, I heard story after story of women of color carrying the weight of proving themselves twice over, only to be second-guessed more quickly than others.
And yet, here’s the paradox: studies show that women leaders often bring strengths in collaboration, problem-solving, and inclusive decision-making. A 2022 CUPA-HR study even found that institutions with women executives tend to have stronger pipelines for women at every leadership level. In other words, when women lead, they don’t just fill a seat. They change the system.
Reflection: Where have you noticed leaders being evaluated differently on your campus—especially women or leaders of color? What impact does that have on their tenure, and on the climate for everyone else?
Leadership at Every Level
Leadership in the gap isn’t only about presidents, provosts, or deans. It’s about you.
When I coach faculty, I remind them: ‘The way you hold space for students during uncertainty—that’s leadership.’
When I coach emerging administrators, I tell them: ‘Your ability to connect colleagues across silos—that’s leadership.’
We don’t just need leadership from the top. We need distributed leadership, practiced daily, in every corner of campus.
Reflection: Where can you step into leadership this week, even without a title or formal authority?
Disruption will keep coming. That part isn’t new. But what’s new is the scale of the leadership gap it exposes.
The data tells us trust is wavering. The pipeline is aging. Diversity is lagging. And campuses are hungry for direction, courage, and capacity.
But here’s the hope: leadership is not a title. It’s a practice. And every one of us can practice it—by offering clarity, showing courage, and expanding capacity.
So I invite you: don’t wait for leadership to arrive from above. Step into it where you are.
If this episode sparked something for you, listen to the full episode and download the Reflection & Action Guide linked in the show notes. Capture your answers. Turn them into steps. Share them with your team.
Until next time—lead with clarity, courage, and capacity.
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As Founder & Senior Executive Consultant for Transformational Leadership in Higher Ed, I partner with faculty, administrators, and staff who are navigating the real pressures of academic life. Whether you’re stepping into a new leadership role, seeking visibility, or managing institutional complexity, I provide high-touch, strategic guidance tailored to your unique goals.
This isn’t one-size-fits-all coaching—it’s a discreet, trusted partnership designed to help you lead with confidence and impact.
Let’s start the conversation. Click here to schedule your call and explore how we can chart a path forward together.
P.S. For insights and strategies on navigating higher ed leadership, tune into Your Strategist Is In, The Acclivity podcast with Dr. Loren M. Hill. Listen and subscribe today!
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