Survival tips for academic leaders (or lessons learned from being an Association President).
Academic leadership is hard.
When I led an Association, we planned a conference in Seoul, Korea about the time it became a global hotspot.
I received dozens of emails for & against the conference. As the political rhetoric grew heated, so did the alarm in the messages that I received. Some threatened, some cajoled, & all wanted their own way.
Ultimately, we held the conference - albeit without some regulars - it worked out.
Along the way I learned, no matter your choice, academic sharks are always willing to second guess, criticize, or otherwise question your decisions & your behavior.
Academic sharks refer to scholars who complain, undermine & stir pots to either advance their careers, to undermine competitors, or simply for the joy of controversy.
Academic sharks come at all career stages - from the senior scholar whose career is waning, a mid-career scholar seeking to secure their spot in power, or to an early career scholar looking to build a reputation.
Academic sharks score points by making placid academic waters red - by creating controversy, pushing agendas, or pursuing personal grudges.
Academic leaders will find academic sharks in all sorts of places - from their own department or college to their broader discipline.
As an academic leader, I was surprised by the willingness of academic sharks to engage in conflict - in public or private - on a host of issues - from leadership decisions, to the quality of my work, to my ability o raise a daughter.
If you choose to lead, you will have to navigate shark-infested waters.
So how to do it?
First, find friends.
You will need friends outside of the fray - who you can trust & can use as a sounding board.
Second, accept the comments hurt.
Mean words are part of the shark's toolkit. Often, they become personal.
Prepare yourself. Know, they do it to everyone. It's not just you.
Third, be location aware.
Sharks are everywhere - from your social media feed to a panel audience.
Know what you are saying & be willing to deal with the fallout.
Pro tip: what you write has a longer life than what you say, so be careful what you put on social media or email.
Fourth, no conversation is private.
Academic sharks take the private & make it public - be it a conversation in the hallway or a FB post.
Until your spell in leadership is done, be a high self-monitor.
Fifth, controversies pass.
Most people will remember you as a good leader.
I've seen terrible editors recalled fondly, curmudgeon's named truth speakers, & so on.
Make the best decisions you can - & as long as you are ethical - it will work out.
Sixth, there are more academic dolphins than sharks.
Most people will appreciate your work. Focus on them. That's why you chose to step up & lead.
Finally, we can only build a better academy, if people lead.
Don't be afraid of the sharks. You can make the academy stronger.
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