Page 6 - index

Voices of Leadership…

On Visionary Leadership

“ Transformational leaders don’t start out by denying

the world around them. Instead, they describe a

future they’d like to create.” ~seth godin

When we reached out to our board members to talk about Visionary Leadership and the future they’d like to create, we could not have imagined
receiving such an impressive, insightful, and practical array of responses. Our colleagues from around the globe replied with words that can be
applied at any college, in any region, with any leadership team or group of staff and faculty. Although their responses are without exception unique,
two common threads emerge. The first is hope – a great hope for the future of education. The second is confidence – a consistent confidence that
when managed by mindful and passionate leaders, educational institutions have unlimited potential to create the future they envision.

Dr. Paul Wilson, DBA, BE, F.IPENZ, General Manager, TAFE Queensland East Coast, Mountain Creek, Mooloolaba, QLD, Australia

Given the quote, what is your vision of leadership in today’s rapidly changing, post-secondary climate?
Leadership for me is very much about building a team that is focused on and accepting of change – change
is, afer all, now seen as the only constant in today’s environment. Tat team building has to start at the
senior leadership level that can sell the vision of the future that the organization has committed to; to
build the culture that the organization needs; and to work on continuously reviewing and resetting that
vision of the future.
What actions can leaders take to envision the future?
Leaders have to be prepared to read widely across areas including business, education, technology,
marketing, innovation, and social commentary to analyze change drivers and then synthesize solutions for
the emerging problems that their organization, post-secondary education, community, and society will need
to resolve to continue to evolve. Future-focused thinking will also require determining where one wants to
be in terms of the change continuum – the bleeding edge, a fast follower, a traditionalist, or somewhere in
between – and the degree of risk that is acceptable to the organization associated with the positioning.

In looking forward, how can leaders bring their leadership vision to life?
Leaders have to be visible change agents in order to realize their vision; that includes being the key message bearer, selling a
compelling argument for the change required; being the conductor, getting the right people on the bus - and the wrong people of;
and being a leader who demonstrably cares for the people in her/his charge. Displaying strong ethics, integrity, and courage helps
in pulling others into the leader’s feld of vision.

Dr. Barbara Gaba, President, Atlantic Cape Community College, Mays Landing, NJ, USA
Given the quote, what is your vision of leadership in today’s rapidly changing, post-secondary climate?
Given the rapidly changing, post-secondary climate, my vision of leadership is one that embodies a
collaborative approach to addressing the issues of the communities we serve. As we seek to advance our
mission it is important to partner with business and industry, non-profts, K-12, and higher education
institutions.
What actions can leaders take to envision the future?
To envision the future leaders need to keep abreast of the economic, technological, and demographic
trends on a local, regional, and national level. Clearly all of these areas have an impact on the people and
communities served by post-secondary institutions.
In looking forward, how can leaders bring their leadership vision to life?
Leaders can best bring their leadership vision to life by being passionate about the mission and sharing
their enthusiasm to build a team to implement the mission. Leadership is dynamic and calls upon us to
leverage education to promote social and economic mobility for the students we serve.

4 LEADERSHIP Vol. 23.1 Spring/Summer 2017

Client: The Chair Academy Job: Leadership_Journal_23.1 Spring/Summer 2017 Final size: 8.5” x 11” Colors: CMYK Bleeds: Yes
Created by: Goldfsh Creative - Laura Dvir • 602.349.2220 • LAURA@GOLDFISHCREATIVE.NET