Here's a lesson for leadership in a time of crisis: When things go wrong, a leader needs to own the wrongs that have occurred. It's easy to cast blame on others who held power in the past. But anyone holding a leadership position for more than a year or two has to take responsibility for current messes/mistakes. And, new leaders, this is hard and I know from experience and my own errors: you can only blame your predecessor and institutional bad acts for so long. Once one gets the lay of the land, a leader owns the institution's past. Ownership is key to trustworthiness, the ability to live with oneself and to take real action. Blame gets you nowhere. Why do I raise this now? With all the institutions struggling with one crisis or another, particularly in education, we can see the value of being forthright. Stand up and own what went/is wrong. And, then take the steps needed to remedy the situation. Think Georgetown owning its slave past. Remarkable. Think Penn State not owning its silence. Troubling. And, by the by, PR folks would agree: It's best for institutions moving forward if their leaders step forward. Remember the President of Columbia who climbed out his office window to avoid student protesters? As they say in the law, res ipsa. #presidency #leadership #crises
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#presidency
#leadership
#crises