League for Innovation in the Community College January 2019 | Page 17

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When a vision is not clearly defined, even the best
and brightest team members can second guess
how they contribute to the college’s goals.
Much of my professional development has focused on constraints are rarely enough to inspire a team to change.
leadership studies, and I’ve learned that community college Employees want to believe their work makes an impact on
leaders come in all shapes and sizes. In addition to the others, and sometimes just need a helping hand to understand
presidents, chancellors, and CEOs, there are formal and their influence.
informal leaders throughout our campuses. And regardless
of titles, specific tenets must be followed to lead effectively. With the team on board, effective leaders allocate their
These include having a vision for what the organization is resources appropriately to accomplish their goals. When
working to accomplish, an ability to motivate others to everyone is behind a cause, and it is derailed due to lack of
work toward the goal(s), and the skills to manage personnel or budget resources, confidence in an organization
resources effectively. can be quickly lost. It can also be difficult to earn future buy-in.
Leaders must be knowledgeable about their progress toward a
I’ve found that promoting the organization’s vision is the goal and prepared to make appropriate resource adjustments
first critical step to leading effectively. Too often, individuals as needed. Reallocating resources effectively requires the
in formal leadership positions assume others have a clear ability to assess situations and outcomes, as well as the
understanding of priorities and the work necessary to courage to change direction when necessary.
accomplish objectives. When a vision is not clearly defined,
even the best and brightest team members can second Although lack of vision, inability to motivate others, and poor
guess how they contribute to the college’s goals. A leader’s resource management are the primary reasons initiatives fail,
vision needs to be about more than just achieving a desired they should not prevent organizational leaders from fostering
outcome. It’s imperative that the case is made for why the work an innovative culture. And it is important to note that even
must be done. Making this case requires the utilization of both when following the necessary tenets for leadership, if a goal
impactful stories and meaningful data. is too ambitious, the most effective leaders and teams may
not succeed. What separates innovative cultures from those
Once a vision is set, leaders must ensure buy-in exists from stifled from previous failures is that they learn to move forward
key stakeholders. This includes confirming that everyone together. Hopefully, as leaders follow these critical tenets, their
understands their role and how they will impact a desired teams will choose to support and work toward a collective
outcome. Team members may need help prioritizing their goal. After all, the success of our students depends on
responsibilities so new work does not hinder their regular effective leadership and improved outcomes.
responsibilities. Successful leaders encourage others to
embrace the work by recognizing previous accomplishments
and rewarding calculated risk-taking. Individuals motivated
by emotional thoughts need to be compelled just as much as
Randy Weber is Vice President, Student Success and
Engagement, Johnson County Community College.
those motivated by rational thoughts. Efficiency and budget
WINTER/SPRING 2019
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