Leadership for the 21st Century Land Grant University

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Leadership for the 21st Century Land Grant
University

• Jeffrey D. Armstrong
• Michigan State University

ESCOP/ACOP Class 3 (Blue)
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Leadership for the 21st Century Land Grant
University

• My perspective is based on experiences in / with
• Multiple states
• Multiple universities
• Multiple stakeholder groups and issues

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Leadership for the 21st Century Land Grant
University

• Must be
• Change Oriented
• Servant in Nature / Level 5
• Courageous Bold
• Optimistic, Disciplined Ethical

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Leadership

• To What End?
• For What Purpose?

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Leadership

• To What End?
• For What Purpose?
• The Land Grant
• Mission / Covenant

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Leadership

• To What End?
• For What Purpose?
• The Land (Global)
• Grant Mission / Covenant

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What is the LG Covenant?

• Higher education that embraces
• practical knowledge as well as,
• traditional scientific classical studies
• With values including
• Quality
• Inclusiveness
• Connectivity

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Responsibilities / Expectations

• Catalyst for realizing upward mobility
• Economic development quality of life
• Listen and respond to societys needs
• Intellectual agenda for today and tomorrow
• Assure that our value to society / people will
  continue to grow and to appreciate no matter
  the circumstances

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Unique Challenges to Extension Experiment
Station

• Federal
• State
• Local
• Storm vs. Climate Change

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Leadership for the 21st Century Land Grant
University

• Our covenant with society is not about granting
  entitlements, its about providing
  opportunities.
• President Lou Anna Simon, 2005 Inaugural Address,
  MSU

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Creating Change

• Change is difficult
• Resistance to change is human nature
• Comfort and Stability
• vs.
• UNcomfort and INstability

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Sustainable Communities, Agriculture and Natural
Resources

• Economically
• Environmentally
• Ecologically
• Socially
• Social responsibility in the food chain

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Why People Resist Change

• Out of their control
• Why is this necessary?
• The old way works!
• They feel incapable of changing
• Pain gt Gain

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Quotes

• Everything that can be invented has been
  invented
• Charles Duell, Commissioner of Patents, 1899
• I think there is a world market for about five
  computers
• Thomas J. Watson, IBM, 1943

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Quotes

• There is no reason for any individual to have a
  computer in his home.
• Kenneth Olson, Digital Equipment, 1977

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Leadership for the 21st Century Land Grant
University

• Must be
• Change Oriented
• Servant in Nature / Level 5

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Willing to Accept Responsibility

• Courageous vs. Conforming Leadership
• Level 5 Good to Great
• Servant style leader

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Level 5 Leadership

• Personal humility/compelling modesty
• Professional will/do what must be done
• Their ambition is first foremost for the
  organization
• Set up their successors for success
• Give credit to others take personal
  responsibility when things go bad
• Came from inside the company

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Low Ego Zone

• You can accomplish anything in life provided
  that you do not mind who gets the credit
• HARRY S. TRUMAN

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Communicate, Communicate, Communicate ..

• Drucker 60 of all problems
• Transparency there are no secrets
• Courage be open and honest
• Think PR / politics
• No one thinks they have a communication problem
• 21 rule listen talk

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Coach .. Andbe Coached!

• Coaching is about enhancing performance not
  simply dealing with negative performance
• How do you handle opposition?
• Constructive criticism
• Vs.
• Unwarranted or unjust criticism

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Coach .. And Be Coached!

• How do you handle mistakes?
• From others
• Vs.
• Your own
• How do you handle success?
• What do you do to recharge?

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Leadership for the 21st Century Land Grant
University

• Must be
• Change Oriented
• Servant in Nature / Level 5
• Courageous Bold

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First Who Then WhatHire and Promote the Best

• Get the right people on the bus (share your
  values)
• Draw a line in the dirt!
• Hire people for who they are
• Hire for tomorrows job
• Bring on people that are different
• Hire team players we vs I
• Think long term
• Be prepared keep it legal

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Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing

• Determining what is important is the easy part
• Maintaining focus is the hard part
• Not to do lists are more important than to do
  lists

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Hedgehog Concept

• Understanding what you can be the best at what
  you cant be the best at
• Having a good competence not enough-can you be
  the very best
• What drives your economic engine-what has the
  greatest impact on success
• Only do those things that you can truly be
  passionate about

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Be The Best You Can Be

• Know yourself
• Work on areas needing enhancement
• Be honest
• Set goals
• Let go of the past
• Avoid Groundhog Day
• Be a lifelong learner
• Dont be afraid to stretch take a chance

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Time Management
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How we do the things we do
Main Things Right Example run a productive and
necessary meeting
Main Things Wrong Example waste two hours
during an important meeting
The things we do
Wrong Things Wrong Example waste everyones
time at an unnecessary meeting
Wrong Things Right Example facilitate a great
meeting that was not necessary
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Address Interpersonal Conflicts

• Molehills and mountains
• Ignoring it doesnt make it go away
• 1 10 100 rule
• The significant problems we face cannot be
  solved at the same level of thinking that we were
  at when we created them
• Albert Einstein

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Confront PerformanceProblems

• Remember hire tough
• The LG System is not an entitlement system
• Clear and reasonable expectations
• Ability / resources to succeed
• Clear feedback / mentoring mechanisms

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Performance Groups

• Super stars
• Rewarded or abused?
• Middle stars
• Build confidence feedback coach for goals
  catch them doing good things find a mentor
  create rewards
• Falling stars
• Must have the courage to confront performance
  issues

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Leadership for the 21st Century Land Grant
University

• Must be
• Change Oriented
• Servant in Nature / Level 5
• Courageous Bold
• Optimistic, Disciplined Ethical

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Half Full, Half Empty On my way to the next
glass!

• A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his
  opportunities an optimist is one who makes
  opportunities of his difficulties
• Reginald B. Mansell
• Same situation viewed differently
• Developing country shoe market
• No market here. Nobody wears shoes.
• Great market here. Nobody wears shoes.
• Same talk two different reactions

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Half Full, Half Empty On my way to the next
glass!

• Unique aspects of LG System
• Tough budgets!
• Opportunity for leadership
• Tough times put folks to the test
• Departmental cultures
• Impact of 1-2 negative or positive folks
• Negativity spreads faster than e-mail
• Impact of leaders

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Three Keys to BeingA Next Glass Leader

• Attack worry with purposeful action
• Surround yourself with positive people
• Continually look for the best in others and
  yourself

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Create a Culture of Ethics and Integrity

• You must walk the talk
• Treat others as you would want to be treated
• Avoid yes people
• Avoid the everyone is super pitfall
• You cant tell folks what they want to hear for
  very long!

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A Culture of Discipline

• Disciplined people
• Disciplined thought
• Disciplined action
• once-in-lifetime opportunity is irrelevant if it
  does not fit with Hedgehog Concept
• Budget to fully fund those activities that fit
  Hedgehog Concept
• Stop doing lists are more important than to do
  lists

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Buckets and Dippers
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Consider

• Are you and your organization changing with the
  rest of the world?
• Is your view of the LG Mission modern?
• What are your areas of excellence?
• What will you subsidize?
• What will you no longer do?

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References

• Good to Great Collins
• Monday Morning Leadership and Leadership
  Courage www.cornerstone.com
• 2005 Inaugural Address, Lou Anna Simon, President
  MSU
• president.msu.edu/speeches_pubs.html

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Questions?