Thoughts on Leadership in Advancement by Drew Collier

Leadership is a big topic that is tough to cover in a short article.  Amidst the vast array of leadership competencies, we are all learning and practicing at different levels, in complex, often unstable environments, with resource and time constraints.

Practicing leadership can be a bit like golf  - on any given hole, despite our best efforts, there are many things we could have done better...but occasionally we get a rare great moment, an amazing shot that seems almost perfect.  It is those few great moments that fuel our ongoing pursuit to bettering our game.

Short articles on leadership can be a great tool to help us pause and explore our own style of leadership and think about how we are perceived by our teams.  In particular, there are two constructs of leadership that I find interesting in my work with University Advancement: leading change and leadership in service to each other.

Leadership is about making Change

We are living in a very exciting time, especially in University Advancement, with so much change going on around us.  Being in the research field you are probably well aware of this at a macro level, but have you taken some time recently to think about what it means to you and your team?  Try conducting a basic SWOT exercise with your team, and be sure to consider some of the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal changes that might impact your team's success in fulfilling its role in your organization.

Previously insulated from more corporate business practices by their public sector academic focus, universities are changing.  Today they face tightened budgets and greater accountability to students, public and alumni who are demanding they "practice what they preach".  All this is driving many institutions to adopt best practices from other industries to rapidly improve efficiency and effectiveness.  With so much change coming our way, we all better know where our teams are going, and have a planned course of action, otherwise we will end up wherever the tides of change will take us.

I expect all my leaders to have a plan, an "agenda for change", that takes into consideration the internal and external environment, and clearly sets out a common set of goals that fulfill their role/purpose in adding value to the organization.  All of their team members need to be a part of building that plan and setting the course ahead.  Without a plan that the team supports we are not leading change - we are only managing our daily operations.

In most cases the process of building the plan is the greatest benefit.  It helps our teams innovate and stretch their potential, but with some confidence they can get there.  It also helps establish a shared framework for what is important in making decisions, so that when the going gets tough, and we hit that road block along the way, our teams have the tools to help navigate and adjust course as needed.

So....what is your team's agenda for change?  How are you helping move it forward?

Servant Leadership

Great leaders serve their teams. They help secure resources, hold up the mirror (give feedback), coach, encourage pursuit of better practices, support individuals, cheer the team on, etc.  -  generally they help the team be the best it can be in the pursuit of shared goals/objectives.

Many leaders spend a lot of time facilitating decisions with their teams.  But when the team can't or won't agree the process breaks down and it is the leader's responsibility to make the call that he/she believes is in the best interests of the team.  This isn't a healthy process for any team on a regular basis.  It often points to team dysfunction, which can be the quickest way to burn out an otherwise great leader.

The key to good leadership is that we all need to practice it.  After all, leadership isn't reserved for your manager.  Ultimately it is the responsibility of everyone on a team to be participative and progressive in their approach to making decisions and moving forward towards their shared goals.  Great teams value different perspectives, but are willing to compromise and collaborate to make informed/involved decisions. Most importantly they don't allow themselves to get stuck - they keep things moving forward, all serving the common good of the team in pursuit of their common goals. So we all need to serve our colleagues by practicing good leadership behaviours? - YES!

I've always liked the "geese" analogy: geese fly in a "V" formation, presumably with the leader at the front, and the rest of the skein drafting behind them (good physics for efficient flight).  But when that leader gets tired or injured, another goose will take its place as the "lead" for a while.  Along the way it is everyone's responsibility to keep "honking" in encouragement of each other and recognition for the team's great work.  Now that's leadership!

I hope these thoughts on leadership offer something to think about and I encourage you to keep the discussion going with your peers.  Leadership is not a destination, it is a journey of personal reflection and action and continuously striving to be the best you can be...amidst all of life and your organizations constant challenges and constraints. Good Luck!...and enjoy the pursuit.

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Drew Collier is the Chief Administrative Officer, Development and Alumni Engagement, at the University of British Columbia.  Drew leads the Advancement/Operations team that includes finance, human resources, information systems, and research.  Drew's current work is focused on leading the operations teams to reengineering for growth, including all the people, financial and technology practices that will help the UBC Development and Alumni Engagement division achieve their daunting goal of doubling alumni engagement and fundraising.  Most of Drew's career has revolved around driving and implementing change and establishing new business units to achieve strategic results.  Prior to UBC, Drew worked in financial services where he held senior roles in Strategy, Operations and Project Management.


You can connect with Drew online at http://www.linkedin.com/in/drewcolliervancouvercanada or at drew.collier@ubc.ca.