Higher Education and Academic Research Community

What are some of the inactions that should be avoided by leaders during change (ex.  Breaking agreements, violating trust, being tone deaf, failing to legitimize change and change's impact on individuals, misrepresenting change, failing to call for action, and resisting resistance).  Do you have others to add to this list?  Does this differ in institutions of higher education and academia as compared to traditional industries?

I would add "failing to honor shared governance" to the list. That is a major aspect of higher ed that is different from other industries. I also think we need leaders who are committed to two-way communications rather than just top-down. In higher ed, there is an expectation that presidents and trustees are accessible in a way that would not be possible in a corporate context.

Hi Mary,

I think you've hit on some of the most critical inactions: failing to legitimize the change and not anticipating or addressing its impact on individuals are major pitfalls. I would definitely add the inaction of failing to actively listen to employees and being insufficiently visible as a sponsor; passive or disengaged leadership can quickly erode trust, which is foundational to managing change. The need for a more consultative approach to change management is often what differentiates higher education and academia from traditional industries. Unlike a corporate top-down structure, shared governance in academia means leaders must avoid the inaction of not involving faculty and key stakeholders in genuine, two-way conversations to build the necessary consensus.