Administrators share leadership lessons at Ohio State forum

Finding mentors, identifying professional development opportunities and preparing for career advancement were focal points of an April 15 leadership forum hosted by The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences. The forum was co-sponsored by the College of Engineering and the Fisher College of Business.  

The event, held at Understory near the Columbus campus, brought together faculty, staff and students from various departments and featured speakers from higher education institutions across the country.

Keynote speakers Leslie Wong, interim president of Connecticut College, and Adele Brumfield, vice provost for enrollment management at the University of Michigan, shared insights on effective leadership.

Wong said he encourages faculty and staff to pursue professional development opportunities to prepare for leadership roles. One particularly successful strategy is to take a sabbatical from a current position and acquire skills in another department within the university.

“I really like the concept of internal sabbaticals, especially for senior administrators,” Wong said. Administrators who have taken these opportunities at various institutions he’s led “found [solutions] that saved us.”

Wong said a key component of leadership is learning to balance a desire to help others with the day-to-day demands of a high-profile position.

“A good starting point is acknowledging that being educators means explicitly and absolutely that we want to make a difference in the lives of students, faculty, communities and within this culture we call higher education,” he said. “After all, why would you want to do anything in your life if it didn’t make a difference?”

Brumfield also said she has been motivated throughout her career to make a difference, especially in the lives of students who face barriers to accessing higher education. When she held previous administrative roles at institutions such as Denison University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brumfield said mentors from diverse backgrounds helped her identify advancement opportunities.

“Sometimes those who will mentor you may have lived a different life,” she said, “but they believe in the work that you do.”

Helping others reach their full potential benefits all parties involved, Brumfield said. She cited the example of a health challenge that caused her to take a leave of absence while serving as the director of admissions and recruitment at UW-Madison.

“You never know when succession planning will be needed. My team stepped up while I was away,” she said. “Lessons in leadership come in many forms.”   

A panel discussion featured Derrick Tillman-Kelly, chief of staff to College of Engineering Dean Ayanna Howard, and Michelle Duguid, associate professor at Cornell University’s S.C. Johnson School of Business. Lisa Barclay, assistant dean of staff at Ohio State’s College of Engineering, moderated the discussion.

Tillman-Kelly and Duguid offered perspectives on how professionals who are new to administrative roles can gain valuable experience while prioritizing self-care.

Before taking on a new assignment, Tillman-Kelly said it’s beneficial to ask, “Does the willingness to do this work and serve fulfill me? Does it invite me into a space where if I did not do it, I would be upset with myself? If those answers are yes, then it’s easier for me to say yes [to the assignment].”

When tapped to take on additional responsibility, higher-education professionals can be more effective by asking for support, Duguid said.

“I ask for resources. … You need to ask for what you need to be successful in whatever role,” she said. “That’s been useful in helping me to be present and try to do the best.”    

The forum was organized by the College of Arts and Sciences’ Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The event was designed to identify best practices in leadership, said Korie Little Edwards, the office’s interim associate dean.

“It was a great gathering of learning and fellowship among faculty and staff and others,” she said, “not only from the College of Arts and Sciences, but across the university.”