Touch the Stone: A Case Study of Engaged Leadership William R. Crawley Diane L. Scott Kimberly D. McCorkle
University of West Florida
Journal of Higher Education Management, 35(4), 58-66 (ISSN 2640-7515). Š Copyright 2020 by American Association of University Administrators. Permission to reprint for academic/scholarly purposes is unrestricted provided this statement appears on all duplicated copies. All other rights reserved.
The changing environment for higher education requires administrative leadership that is poised to respond and guide faculty and staff through changes while preserving the values and culture of the institution. Challenges to the purpose and goals of higher education institutions posed by both internal and external stakeholders necessitate that leadership communicate their commitment to a shared vision, care and nurturing of workers, innovation, and inclusion. These fundamental values, which higher education advances for the common good, must be presented by engaged leaders as essential, touchstone ideals that serve to bind organizational members during times of significant change. Engaged leaders who understand how to develop and draw upon shared institutional meanings are most effective at advancing their organizations. This paper will make the case for the value of engaged leadership during times of institutional challenge and change by building upon tenants of related/current leadership theories and perspective strategies, and thereafter providing exemplars of engaged leadership experienced by the authors. Engaged leadership transcends traditional leadership models by integrating ethics, engagement, and communal values as a means to inspire a shared vision. While various forms of leadership rely on the exchange of monetary rewards, benefits, recognition, and other low-level needs in return for conformity and the service of followers (Johnson, 2013), engaged leaders look past immediate selfinterests and instead motivate followers to work for inspirational, higher-level needs and the collective goals of the group (Bass, 1996). This is accomplished through regular, reciprocal engagement and feedback between the leader and followers, wherein the leader recognizes employees as unique individuals and seeks to identify and awaken the values that drive each employee toward clearly articulated organizational goals (Nohria & Groysberg, 2008; Ryan & Deci, 2000). Engaged leaders inspire followers through relationships that reinforce each and every employee as essential to organizational success (Imberman, 2016). Empirically, it is hypothesized that engaged leadership styles are understood to result in successful institutions. That is, followers of engaged leaders are harder working and more committed, and as a result, their organizations are more successful than those led by leaders who deploy more transactional leadership styles (Johnson, 2013; Shore, Porter, & Zahra, 2004). Transformational Leadership Informs Engaged Administration While there are a variety of leadership models and theories, perhaps the leadership style that most closely supports the underlying philosophy of engaged administration is transformational leadership. Perhaps that strongest link between transformational leadership and engaged administration is a common focus on intrinsic motivation and follower development, which Bass and Riggio (2006) 58
