When I was an Association President, a senior scholar challenged the reappointment of a journal editor.
They queried: why was this person reappointed?
I replied: because they have done a great job.
They replied: but shouldn’t everyone have a chance to lead?
What followed was a long conversation about leadership, how to develop leaders, and how past leaders serve as to stewards in my academic community.
While I’ve never regretted my vote to reappoint the journal editor, I now recognize that an opportunity was missed to give other people a chance to grow through serving the community.
That experience changed how I viewed leadership and developing leaders in academic communities.
So what do I think? About leaders? and their role in the community? Once their time is up?
Feel free to disagree in the comments.
First, people who serve in formal roles should only serve once.
Be it as a journal editor or an association president, do the job once and make room for the next person.
Every extended term denies others the chance to grow.
Second, if you’ve been president of an association or a top journal editor, don’t hop into another leadership role in an adjacent organization or journal.
These roles are few and far between.
Many people are qualified for these positions - so give others a chance to grow (yes, this is a bit redundant).
Third, people who have served in leadership roles should mentor others.
The advice of people who went ahead of me, even when I didn’t agree, helped me make better decisions as an association president.
Such advice also helped me become a a better senior editor at top journals in my field.
If you have done your time at the top, you can still impact your community through mentoring the next generation.
Fourth, people who have served in leadership roles should stay out of the day to day affairs of their associations/journals.
Nothing is more frustrating for leaders than the be second-guessed publicly for a routine policy decision.
The best past leaders don’t comment on the current operations of their group.
They give the current folks room to lead.
Fifth, past leaders should stir pots judiciously.
As mentors and stewards, senior leaders should as much as they can, line up their activities with the mission of their group or journal. We should take care to not make the job of current leaders harder - unless pressed.
Absent a real emergency, past leaders should be seen and not heard in the professional associations or journal operations.
A good senior leader slips into the background unless needed.
So why the post?
Because it seems like many senior academics struggle to let go of formal power, letting others lead, and to stop meddling in the affairs of the day.
Make room for the next generation - you will be pleased by the result.
Comments