Power. It can be a scary word, associated with negative connotations like abuse of power or feeling powerless. In higher education, we often shy away from these strong words, as our context is about service to students and the greater community.

But our organizations need strong leaders who can make decisions and advance the work so how can power be a catalyst for success?   If we learn how to harness it in the right way, we can reach goals and objectives we never thought possible. 

The Global Leadership League has chosen power as this year’s theme. During the next twelve months, we will celebrate and challenge ourselves to become better leaders in higher education, explore the role power plays in our field and demystify how to gain and use it to lean into established organizational structures instead of shying away from them.

Power has always been a part of the organizational structure of higher education, playing an essential role in how things are accomplished.  Like a gas pedal, power can be overused or underused, propelling us forward or holding us back.  As leaders, we need to learn how to best use and share our new-found power. Finding a balance can prove challenging, and testing the waters and seeking advice can come at a price. Note - power is not hard-wired to feminine or masculine leadership and yet we need to explore how our gender informs our view of and expression of power.

We invite you to join the conversation. Becoming a member, attend our 2020 events, learn from one of our webinars or read our new blog. However you choose to engage in the dialogue, we are thrilled to have you.

Here’s to a powerful year!

Cynthia Banks