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Community College Journal of Research and Practice

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Filling the Leadership Pipeline: A Qualitative Study Examining Leadership Development Practices and Challenges Facing Community College Presidents in Illinois

Lori Artis & Susan Bartel

To cite this article: Lori Artis & Susan Bartel (2021) Filling the Leadership Pipeline: A Qualitative Study Examining Leadership Development Practices and Challenges Facing Community College Presidents in Illinois, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 45:9, 674-686, DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476

Published online: 01 Jun 2020.

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Filling the Leadership Pipeline: A Qualitative Study Examining Leadership Development Practices and Challenges Facing Community College Presidents in Illinois Lori Artis and Susan Bartel

Higher Education Leadership, Maryville University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

ABSTRACT This qualitative phenomenological study examines the leadership develop- ment activities of Illinois community college presidents and sought to understand not only how presidents prepare for their leadership roles, but what challenges presidents are currently facing, what advice they have for emerging leaders about effective leadership practices, and what competencies they identify as important to lead a community college in Illinois today. Utilizing the core competencies defined by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) as a framework for the study, the researcher sought to understand the lived experiences of these leaders to help inform a leadership development model for emerging leaders, community college boards, and current community college administrators. Results of the study revealed that a combination of mentorship, progressive job responsibilities, and earning a doctorate were important in the prepara- tion of the participant. Challenges they identified included institutional finances, enrollment management, working with elected boards and unions, and dealing with unfunded legal mandates and legislation. Presidents identified the importance of ongoing professional development, reading and understanding current trends facing community colleges, and building a team as essential leadership practices for community college presidents. The findings from the study align with the AACC’s core leader- ship competencies. Implications and recommendations for practice and future research are included.

After only three years, the Chancellor of the University of Texas System William H. McRaven, stated “The toughest job in the nation is the one of an academic- or health-institution president” (Thomason, 2018, para. 2). Before coming to higher education, McRaven served as a military leader and led the raid on Osama bin Laden, which makes his sentiments related to the role of a college president seem that much more compelling.

Chancellor McRaven’s remarks illustrate just how challenging the role of the college president has become, and understanding what those challenges are and how leaders can prepare to face them seems ever more pressing today as the average tenure of a higher education president continues to drop to an all-time low of 6.5 years in 2016 (Gagliardi, Espinosa, Turk, & Taylor, 2017). In his landmark report on the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) President’s Survey, Christopher Schults (2001) discovered that a leadership crisis was looming in community colleges due to the increasing number of presidents expected to retire and the aging population that comprised the chief administrators poised to take their place. Nearly two decades later, community colleges are still scrambling to find leaders poised and ready to take on the dynamic and challenging environment of community college leadership.

CONTACT Lori Artis [email protected] Higher Education Leadership, 650 Maryville University Dr., St. Louis, Missouri 63141, USA. © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021, VOL. 45, NO. 9, 674–686 https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1771476

Background of the study

The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine leadership development of public community college presidents in the state of Illinois to understand what experiences prepared them to lead these institutions. Understanding the effectiveness of leadership through the lens of college presidents provides a window into their perception of the needed competencies to prepare emerging leaders to sustain and ensure the vitality of Illinois community colleges.

The literature studying higher education and community college leadership development is volumi- nous. At the same time, the literature regarding leadership development and the best ways to prepare presidents to guide community colleges is unclear. The research question guiding this study is: What leadership development experiences do public community college presidents perceive were essential in preparing them for the challenges they face as leaders of Illinois community colleges today?

Since Shults’ study revealed the leadership crisis, a great deal of research and writing has been done to attempt to understand and explain the best approaches for community colleges to address succession planning that ensures effective leadership development and creates a pipeline of talent to avoid a leadership crisis (AACC, 2013; Boerner, 2015; Duree, 2007; Eddy, 2009, 2010; Forthun & Freeman, 2017; Hassan, Dellow, & Jackson, 2009; McNair, Duree, & Ebbers, 2011; Reille & Kezar, 2010). Although the AACC (2013) developed core leadership competencies to help guide institutions in defining what community college leaders should strive to master, the current body of research clearly states there is no single leadership development solution that will ensure leaders achieve these core competencies (Eddy, 2009; Forthun & Freeman, 2017; Hassan et al., 2009; Hull & Keim, 2007; McNair et al., 2011), or which of these core competencies are essential for emerging leaders to master.

However, a number of researchers have concluded that among possible effective leadership development activities, action learning, or learning on the job is one of the more effective ways to train emerging leaders (AACC, 2013; Duree, 2007; Eddy, 2009; Hassan et al., 2009; Hull & Keim, 2007; McNair et al., 2011). In addition to action learning, it is possible community college presidents develop their leadership skills through doctorate-level training, as the majority of all community college presidents have achieved a doctoral degree; however, there are fewer degrees being awarded to individuals focused specifically on the issues facing community college leaders, which is concern- ing for a number of researchers (Forthun & Freeman, 2017; Friedel, 2010; Fulton-Calkins & Milling, 2005; Strom, Sanchez, & Downey-Schilling, 2011).

Problems facing Illinois community colleges

Community colleges in Illinois are currently experiencing turbulent times, having gone nearly two full years without state funding, many depleting cash reserves, cutting programs and services, and downsizing staff (Manzo & Bruno, 2017). While financial uncertainty has created its own set of challenges for community colleges throughout Illinois, leaders of these colleges are also experiencing increased scrutiny from lawmakers and taxpayers following a senate report aimed at providing the public with more transparency (Botelho, 2015; Illinois State Senate, 2015).

One of the most significant issues facing Illinois community colleges today is who will lead them in the future, given the shrinking pipeline of prepared applicants (O’Keefe, 2013) coupled with the unique financial and legislative challenges Illinois community colleges are facing (Brown, 2016, 2017; Manzo & Bruno, 2017). To create a sustainable pipeline of talent to lead Illinois’ community colleges, it is important to understand the challenges Illinois community college presidents identify today and the ways in which they can best prepare to lead these dynamic institutions.

Finding those willing and prepared to lead Illinois’ public community colleges today and in the future presents a challenge to the Illinois community college system. There are numerous leadership development strategies colleges can employ, such as grow-your-own (GYO) leadership development, mentoring, job shadowing, and internships. There are also various professional development oppor- tunities that could be utilized to provide the necessary training for emerging leaders, including

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professional development institutes, national and regional leadership conferences, as well as uni- versity-based doctoral programs. What is not clear in the current body of research is which of these approaches, or which combination of these leadership development experiences, is the most effective in preparing emerging leaders to take on the challenges facing Illinois community colleges today.

Without a clear understanding of the best ways to produce leaders who are qualified and prepared to take on the challenges of Illinois community colleges today, the future of the state’s system is simply unknown. Like many states, Illinois community colleges are a major economic engine. With a better understanding of the most effective ways current Illinois community college leaders have prepared to lead these dynamic institutions and a clearer picture of the challenges leaders identify as critical can help inform a model for other community colleges.

Conceptual framework

Following Schults’ (2001) study, the AACC (2018), the advocacy group representing nearly 1,200 two-year colleges today, went to work to develop a profile of what a future leader would need to look like in terms of leadership skills, experiences, and core competencies.

The results of Schults’ 2001 study provided the AACC with the foundation to develop the leadership competencies, which were adopted and published by the organization in 2005 and revised in 2013. The revised competencies include organizational strategy; institutional finances, research, fundraising, and resource management; communication; collaboration; and community college advocacy. The AACC guidelines imply the idea that leadership characteristics can be learned and developed progressively through practice and experience (Eddy & Mitchell, 2017). Furthermore, the competencies are reflective of the ever-evolving nature of the community college environment, one where the leadership of community colleges must become more responsive to external forces and demands.

Organizational strategy

The organizational strategy competency identified by the AACC supports and encourages the notion that effective community college leaders must utilize strategic initiatives with the end goal of creating a culture of student success that is supported by all constituents within the institution. The AACC (2013) noted “An effective community college leader promotes the success of all students, strategi- cally improves the quality of the institution and sustains the community college mission based on knowledge of the organization, its environment, and future trends,” (p. 6).

Included in this competency is a leader’s ability to not only understand the institution’s mission, vision, and values, but develop ways through mastery of the competency to embrace these core institutional elements and inspire others to support them. The competency also stresses the significance of a leader to understand the institution’s culture and demonstrate a willingness to make changes to the culture to transition to a culture that solely supports student access and success. Leaders mastering this competency should also embrace change, as is the nature of community college environments, and learn to take risks while also communicating the rationale behind the risks the leader is taking. Organizational strategy defines the need for a leader to create an urgency with all constituent groups around improving student success, creating an inclusive environment, demonstrating technological competence, under- standing the organizational structure and how each employee supports student success, and building a team that is dedicated to improving student success (AACC, 2013).

Institutional finance, research, fundraising, and resource management

This competency asserts, “an effective community college leader equitably and ethically sustains people, processes, and information as well as physical and financial assets to fulfill the mission, vision, and goals of the community college,” (AACC, 2013, p. 8). The competency includes the mastery of the institution’s finances, while encouraging leaders to be entrepreneurial in developing

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alternative revenue streams to support the people, programs, and places of the institution. The competency encourages leaders to embrace accountability in reporting, develop time management strategies for the leader and for the leader’s team (with the notion that a president cannot do all things), and manage conflict and change (AACC, 2013).

Communication

The competency of communication encourages leaders to engage in “honest” (AACC, 2013, p. 9) dialogue, not just communicating the college’s mission and its culture of student success, but also being willing to listen to constituents whether they are staff, faculty, or members of the community. According to the AACC (2013), a leader should have strong presentation skills that allow him/her to clearly communicate the mission, vision, values, culture, and needs of the college to its many stakeholders. Leaders should be flexible and versatile in their delivery of messages related to the college, and should have an elevator speech, or “pocket speech” (AACC, 2013, p. 9), always at the ready to communicate the priorities of the college. A leader achieving the communication competency will “project confidence and respond responsibly and tactfully” (AACC, 2013, p. 9) in even the most challenging times whether it is a crisis or a regular address. Leaders are also encouraged to create an environment that invites shared decision-making through open dialogue among units of the college. A leader should know his or her audience and develop effective communication skills to clearly communicate the core idea of an issue to all constituents without using jargon. Leaders mastering the communication competency must also be aware of the global, interconnected society in which we live and interact in order to effectively “understand and discuss complex relationships of common social, ecological, political, and economic issues to derive new ways of thinking and acting,” (AACC, 2013, p. 9). And finally, a leader should be media savvy, and understand how to leverage all media and other stakeholder groups in an effort to further advocate for the mission of his/her college.

Collaboration

Although it can be lonely at the top, leaders need to recognize they are not the sole decision maker and should develop mechanisms for engaging all constituent groups, breaking down silos, and building internal and external partnerships in order to advance the mission of the college. The AACC (2013) further stated, “An effective community college leader develops and maintains, responsive, cooperative, mutually beneficial, and ethical internal and external relationships that nurture diversity, promotes the success of all students, and sustains the community college mission,” (p. 10).

Community college advocacy

The AACC (2013) stressed the straightforward notion that if someone wants to lead a community college they should be dedicated to the mission and the role community colleges play in society, and they need to be an active advocate for the institution with external stakeholders. The AACC further stated, “An effective community college leader understands, commits to, and advocates for the mission, vision, and goals of the community college on the local, state, and national level,” (p. 11). Once committed to the mission of community colleges, leaders should then seek to engage public partners to help advance the college’s initiatives and boost its operations and offerings.

Methods

All 48 Illinois community college presidents were asked to participate in the study, excluding two with whom the researcher had a preexisting relationship. Using convenience sampling, 11 Illinois community college presidents were interviewed as a part of this study. The recorded phone inter- views were open-ended to uncover lived experiences or “common occurrences” (Ortiz, 2015, p. 64)

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and guided by the main research question and sub-questions. Each participant was offered a transcript review to check for any factual errors.

Trustworthiness included a bracketing technique in an effort to purposefully put aside personal beliefs about the topic being researched, while also encouraging participants of the study to speak freely about their lived experiences, without fear or inhibition. The goal in bracketing and reduction “is to achieve direct contact with the world by suspending prejudgments, bracketing assumptions, deconstructing claims, and restoring openness,” (Klenke, Wallace, & Martin, 2015, p. 213). Other efforts to enhance trustworthiness included peer review, audit trail, and reflexivity.

After multiple readings of the transcripts, pre-coding was used to identify rich and significant phrases or quotes, coding was used to identify specific statements from the transcriptions of the interviews that clearly described the participants’ lived experience. These codes were clustered, or categorized, together as overarching patterns or themes “to exemplify a whole unit of understanding” (Ortiz, 2015, p. 58). Data analysis by coding creates categories attempting to organize data, con- necting similar ideas into groups, and uncovering possible interrelationships (Saldaña, 2011).

Findings

Although much of the current body of research points to the importance of future leaders achieving the competencies set forth by the AACC, there is clearly no one-size-fits-all leadership development solution to prepare community college leaders to eliminate or begin to combat the leadership crisis (AACC, 2013; Duree, 2007; Eddy, 2009; McNair et al., 2011; Rice & O’Keefe, 2014; Strom et al., 2011). The presidents who took part in this study represented diversity in terms of gender, race, geography, and in their pathway to the presidency. Even with this diversity, three consistent themes emerged related to their shared experiences. One major theme that emerged from this study was the distinct presence of three major development activities among the participants: mentorship, pro- gressive job responsibilities, and a doctorate degree. Another theme that emerged in the findings included the common challenges presidents identified: financial stability/security, declining enroll- ments, working with elected boards, working with unions, and dealing with an increasing number of regulatory/legislative mandates. In a third theme, presidents in this study suggested emerging leaders should take part in ongoing professional development opportunities, keep relevant and current on trends in their community and in higher education by reading as much as possible, and learn to be collaborators and build their own leadership teams.

Theme 1: Mentorship, progressive job responsibilities, and doctorate education

Although preparation for the presidency was an individualized experience for each of the partici- pants of this study, with no two presidents describing the same pathway, one major shared experience among the participants were three elements they described as important in their preparation for the presidency: mentorship, progressive job responsibilities, and earning a doctorate degree. The consistent presence of these three elements suggest mentorship, action learning (learning on the job with progressive job responsibilities), and earning a doctorate play a significant role in leadership development for Illinois community college presidents.

Mentorship Participants of this study pointed to the role that a mentor played in their professional development. For many, the relationship with the mentor was described similarly – the mentor would identify the emerging leader in their institutions and assign them more progressive job responsibilities along their pathway to the presidency, many encouraging them to earn a doctorate as a part of their preparation. Participants of the study described their pathway to the presidency in terms such as, “first I was given this position, then I was assigned this responsibility, and soon after I was promoted to this title.” One participant stated it best:

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I’m going to tell you that there is no doubt the best training to be a president is to be mentored by a good president …. You need somebody to toughen you up, teach you the ropes, teach you how to navigate the challenging situations. I am truly convinced that is what prepares people for presidencies, and I feel like it is my duty as a president to mentor people to be presidents.

Progressive job responsibilities and action learning That notion of learning to lead through experience was shared by presidents in this study. Presidents described situations where mentors would assign more progressive job responsibilities to them throughout their career, providing them with more opportunities to learn and advance in their institutions. The activity the presidents were describing is also known as action learning, or learning on the job, which has been cited by numerous other researchers as a critical way adults learn, as well as a significant way emerging leaders can prepare for the role of the presidency (AACC, 2013; Duree, 2007; Eddy, 2009; Hassan et al., 2009; McNair et al., 2011).

The participants of this study agreed with the body of research that practicing action learning with progressive job responsibilities was a critical function of their preparation for the presidency. Presidents would describe holding multiple titles at their institution or other institutions in their pathway to the presidency. One participant remarked that in his 29 years at his institution, he has held as many as 10 titles.

Earning a doctorate Also of note is that out of the 11 participants interviewed, 10 of the presidents had earned either a PhD, an EdD, or in some cases both. Participants expressed the significance of earning this degree to not only their current job attainment, but also in providing them with important knowledge and leadership development they need for their current role as president. One participant described the process of earning an EdD as “fun,” explaining the positive experience he had learning about community college leadership while simultaneously working in a position where he was able to apply his learning in action. Others noted earning a doctorate was a non-negotiable in their career development, using phrases like my mentor said “you will go back and get a doctorate of some sort. I don’t care where or what it’s in, but it’s critical to your future.” Although there was a similar pattern in that most were encouraged by a mentor to achieve their terminal degree, others noted that they knew it was important to their future career path to earn a doctorate. Some participants noted the challenge of earning a doctorate is in itself a part of what prepares you for the challenging role of the presidency:

I think getting your doctorate is really important. I think that the coursework when you get a doctorate in higher education leadership, or something related to that topic, really does give you a good foundation … I also got tougher through that because you’re trying to balance, life, work, schoolwork, and getting your dissertation done.

Theme 2: Challenges identified

Perhaps more interesting, the challenges identified by current presidents provide future leaders with a sort of “task list” of issues they should be prepared to tackle if they plan to lead an institution in the future. Following a nearly two-year period of no state funding, and a state-wide trend of declining enrollments, it was no surprise that the major challenges identified by all participants in the research included financial stability/security and declining enrollments, which only further exacerbate the financial challenges Illinois community colleges are facing due to lost tuition dollars.

However, the surprising challenges that participants identified during this research included: working with elected boards, working with unions, and dealing with an increasing number of regulatory/legislative mandates.

Working with elected boards Participants shared challenges in working with elected boards of trustees. Many questioned indivi- dual agendas and motives for running for these non-paid positions. Additionally, the lack of training that exists to educate and support board members once they are elected was a challenge.

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The personal agenda of board members was questioned by a number of presidents who expressed frustration in spending a lot of time working with board members to educate them beyond the presumptions they brought to the boardroom about the institution. One president shared that in the most recent election there were 16 candidates running for two open spots on the board, and mentioned some candidates were spending as much as $20,000 on their campaigns. He questioned why anyone who did not have a personal agenda would spend that much money to earn an unpaid seat on a public community college board.

Another president noted board members often run for the wrong reasons, whether it’s political motivation or for ego-driven reasons, and then find themselves in an elected role for six years with no higher education foundation or training. “Okay, let’s take ownership of that. They don’t know what they’re doing, but are we giving them the right resources?” This president shared that in addition to not having any formal training available to deliver to elected board members, it is equally frustrating dealing with elected board members who simply refuse to want to learn more about higher education or the institution itself.

A second president shared that a lack of training for boards is potentially damaging for institu- tions, because board members lack the ability to know what successful leadership and effective institutions should look like. He expressed concern with a specific lack of training for boards in selecting leaders for their institutions.

There’s always going to be people apply for jobs, and whether or not they’re qualified or not, there isn’t really a heck of a lot of deep understanding in terms of what boards do or don’t do in terms of figuring out who they’re going to select.

This president suggested the Association of Governing Boards does a lot of board development in higher education but indicated they do not play a role in community college board development.

Other presidents shared stories about elected board members who ran for their seats because they did not like decisions being made by leadership. Stories about ousted administrators, reductions in force, significant budget cuts, and other major institutional transformations were shared as being the result of changes made in boards following contentious election cycles. Juggling the politics of dealing with elected board members was a repeated concern expressed by presidents.

Working with unions Presidents identified major differences in working in union vs. nonunion environments, and the challenges that come with trying to initiate change or stay focused on student issues when union issues tend to become time consuming. Many presidents deal with more than one union on their campuses. One president indicated his work heavily involves collective bargaining on a regular basis because there are five unions with which he and his administrative team negotiate. Overall, presidents recommended that emerging leaders need to gain an understanding and experience in collective bargaining if they intend to lead Illinois community colleges.

Dealing with unfunded mandates Participants described an increasingly more challenging role for the president due to the growing number of legislative mandates that oftentimes require work and investment on the part of colleges but provide no funding or revenue to offset the cost of compliance. One president described the job of legislators is to write bills and pass laws, and shared his feelings about the increase in higher education legislation as the result of lawmakers feeling like they need to prove to their constituents they are doing their jobs by introducing legislation without thinking about the impact that legislation will have on colleges and universities.

Almost everything I do, today included, is … the entire day today was legislative. There is more imposition, more meddling, more we think we know how to do this better than you, of bills and laws that we have to contend with. Fight, kill, adjust and then modify the institution when they become codified. It’s maddening. It’s horrible.

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Other participants shared their concern about the increasing number of legislative mandates at both the state and federal level that utilize resources that compete with their student success agendas and their ability to retract and retain qualified faculty and staff. One president specifically mentioned limiting legislation, such as the pension issue as being a detractor from attracting and retaining qualified leader- ship at her institution. In agreement, another president talked about the challenges of recruiting leaders with new laws that restrict severance pay of employees, regardless of position, to 20 weeks.

Let’s just say we’re trying to recruit a new president to come from anywhere. So, you’re advertising. You have somebody that you tell them that they have … you could say they have a three-year contract, but I think you have to tell them that legally though if this doesn’t work out and we agree to part ways, you only get 20 weeks of severance … I mean, who’s going to want to pick up their family, relocate … I believe that’s going to be a challenge … that would be a pretty tough sell.

Others also shared their concern about the ability to remain compliant with all legal and legislative issues, given what they described as a surmounting number of regulations that apply to community colleges. One president compared higher education institutions to becoming more like the banking industry.

We’ve got 1,000 regulators … I’m not sure any of us run it completely within the law because there’s so many things to do that you don’t even know … It’s not that we know it and don’t do it, it’s just that there’s so many regulations you’re not even aware of it.

Other concerns highlighted by the participants included the challenges of creating innovative and relevant curricula to respond to the changing job market, succession planning, managing and educating multiple generations simultaneously, fundraising, debunking negative images associated with community colleges, threats of school violence, and making frequent unpopular decisions.

Overall, there is a shared concern about the increasingly challenging job of the president. Presidents interviewed who have been serving in the role for a decade or more described the role of the president as being more challenging today than it has been in the past. One president indicated the problems he is asked to resolve today are more complex and said the position of the president is not as respected as it has been in the past, which he feared might also discourage emerging leaders from wanting to take on the role of community college president. “People don’t see these as really important positions as much as they used to. They are still important positions, they still perceive them to be important, but they’re just not revered in the same way.”

In general, all of the challenges identified by the presidents including decreasing state funding, declining enrollments, working with elected boards and unions, and increasing legislation were noted as making the job of being president a much more challenging role than in the past. One president noted the higher education environment is changing radically and is one reason the role of the presidency is even more demanding today.

Theme 3: Recommendations for emerging leaders

Overall, presidents stressed the importance of emerging leaders to take advantage of the numerous professional development opportunities available to them on the state and national levels. Whether it is attending conferences, leadership development trainings at the local or regional level, or other national leadership trainings such as the Future Leaders Institute or the Chair Academy, the major recommendation from all community college leaders was that emerging leaders should take an interest in learning more about higher education and community colleges, and seek out every opportunity they have to learn and grow. One president noted that when he was working toward being a president he went to “every president wanna-be program” he could find.

Keep relevant and current by reading Although various professional development trainings were mentioned or recommended, one com- mon recommendation made by participants was the importance for emerging leaders to regularly

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take part in the simple act of reading – periodicals, journal articles, and books about issues in higher education. As one president noted:

The first thing I would say is read as much as you can widely … Inside Higher Ed, University Business, there is a gamut of things that I read on a daily basis … Reading and staying on top of issues, being knowledgeable about issues, reading your local newspapers, making sure that you know what the politics is in your commu- nity, that’s very, very important.

In general, presidents encouraged emerging leaders to have a genuine interest in learning more about their institution, their local community, and higher education trends. Some presidents mentioned specific titles they would recommend to emerging leaders such as The First 90 Days, Minding the Dream, and The Four Disciplines of Execution. In general, presidents expressed the personal value of reading to helping them stay informed on current issues in higher education and in their community, and in keeping them focused on personal growth and development in their pursuit of lifelong learning.

Build a team One important theme that emerged in the research was the repeated suggestion from presidents that effective leadership needs the support of a team. A number of presidents warned emerging leaders to never think they are the smartest person in the room, to constantly solicit feedback and advice, and to support others’ ideas by building a team of experts around them. Presidents also noted that to be a good team builder, emerging leaders need to also strive to become good listeners.

Presidents cited the need for teams is a result of the challenging nature of higher education and mentioned the value that input from others brings to building confidence in others along the way. One president noted, “Building a very good strong team of people to work with me also helps because nothing ever ends, it’s always evolving and always continuing.”

Some presidents shared the act of building a team is also a form of mentoring others and empowering those within an institution to offer ideas and take part in shaping decisions that impact the institution. Other presidents expressed that building a team is a critical function of leadership because it allows others to feel valued within the institution and it helps build consensus when difficult dilemmas arise.

One president expressed the act of building an internal management team is the ultimate action a leader must make for the benefit of its institution in the future.

You’d like to be able to prepare the team to be able to carry on after you leave … There are so many problems that come up, so many surprises, so many issues that, my God, sometimes you could say ‘who could come up with some of this stuff?’ And you need to be able to address it in a hurry. If you have loyal people who work with you who are competent and want to do the best for the institution and for you and for themselves, so they can benefit from the experience, then for God’s sake, figure out a way to work with them and appreciate them.

Another participant shared that for presidents to be truly effective at leading their institutions, they need a team of qualified managers who can take care of the day-to-day detail so presidents can think about the bigger picture of their institution.

I think that … the prerequisite for really great leadership is top-notch management. So, I don’t understand that rather than the train run on time, it’s really important to make sure you’re surrounding yourself with people who have the capacity to do that so that you can have time to lead.

Overall, presidents referenced their team and the value they bring to the institution at multiple intervals in the interview. The idea of building a team of experts was not only a common theme in the study, but it also overlapped with the repeated notion that one of the biggest fallacies of the presidency is thinking you are the smartest person in the room. “Nobody knows everything, nobody. What you need is to be able to work well with other people, to learn from other people’s lessons through other people, and realize that everybody offers something.” The presidents in this study warned emerging leaders from falling into that ego trap, and encouraged the importance of building

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a team of experts, always being open-minded, and being willing to listen before offering a solution to a problem. As one president candidly stated, “God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason, and that’s so we can listen more than we talk.”

Discussion

The ever-changing environments of community colleges coupled with a shrinking pipeline of leadership talent creates a unique challenge for the future of community colleges. Illinois community colleges have their unique challenges as the result of a nearly two-year gap in state support, compounded by decreasing state funding, declining enrollments, new limiting legislation as the result of increased scrutiny from taxpayers and lawmakers, and state pension issues – all of which threaten these already financially burdened institutions. With a growing number of retirements in leadership expected ongoing in community colleges, the challenge has become not only identifying those willing to take on the issues facing community colleges and fill the leadership pipeline, but finding those leadership development activities and initiatives that individuals and institutions can adopt to ensure leaders achieve core competencies and are prepared for the dynamic and challenging environments of community college leadership.

The results of this phenomenological qualitative study support the literature and align with the conceptual framework of the AACC core competencies. The findings revealed a picture of a possible solution to leadership development. First, the participants identified the importance of the combina- tion of three common practices among today’s community college presidents: mentorship, progres- sive job responsibilities/action learning, and a doctorate degree. These three leadership development practices were consistently present in the leadership development practices of the participants in this study. These elements should be looked at with full consideration by emerging leaders who are pursuing a presidency and by current community college leadership and boards of trustees who want to ensure their institution’s leaders are prepared to take on higher levels of leadership ongoing.

Of note, the presidents discussed the importance of earning a doctorate degree, not just in terms of the need to have this credential on their resume, but presidents described the significant ways in which earning that degree was also a part of their preparation for the presidency. Although earning this terminal degree is usually a requirement for the position of president, it should be noted that presidents identified the knowledge gained and the ability to apply what was learned in their progressive leadership roles was a crucial element in their overall leadership development.

In addition to knowing a combination of activities that have prepared current community college presidents to lead, it is also important to understand those areas presidents have identified as the biggest challenges requiring their leadership and experience today: institutional finances, enrollment manage- ment, working with elected boards of trustees and unions, and dealing with legislative and legal mandates. For those emerging leaders who are looking to pursue a presidency, these are the identified areas where current presidents indicate an emerging leader should look to gain experience and should be prepared to tackle. As indicated by the presidents in this study, perhaps some of the best ways to tackle these challenges is for emerging leaders to take part in ongoing professional development related to higher education, consistently be aware of trends and current issues facing higher education today, and to practice team building to help navigate the ever-changing landscape of higher education.

With an emphasis on the need to be a team builder, the theme of developing a collaboration competency was clearly present throughout the study. Communication was a repeated suggestion from the study’s participants as well, as presidents indicated it was a critical competency in leadership development. Overwhelmingly the presidents in this study focused on the need for presidents to communicate clearly and to listen and be open to feedback from others. Presidents also indicated the importance of being genuinely respectful to all constituents, or as one president candidly stated, “It’s really simple. Just don’t be a jerk.”

The organizational strategy competency identified by the AACC supports and encourages the notion that effective community college leaders must utilize strategic initiatives with the end goal of

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creating a culture of student success that is supported by all constituents within the institution. Although this competency did not develop into a major theme of the research, presidents in this study did allude to the need for presidents to be able to see the big picture, to manage multiple issues simultaneously, and to stay focused on their student-success missions.

Given the issues of fiscal concerns and declining enrollments, the majority of the participants in this study indicated that a core leadership competency for community college presidents is the need to understand higher education finance and fundraising.

The AACC (2013) advocacy competency stressed the straightforward notion that if someone wants to lead a community college they should be dedicated to the mission and the role community colleges play in society, and they need to be an active advocate for the institution with external stakeholders. This competency was obvious among participants who stressed the importance of community college presidents speaking positively and promoting their institutions, constantly striving to communicate their value to constituents.

Limitations of the study

Although the researcher is unaware of any preexisting relationship with the study’s participants, it is possible that a relationship that exists with the researcher’s own president and a potential participant could make the participant worried about openly participating in the study, or perhaps would render the participant incapable of being truly comfortable sharing details with the researcher. The researcher made it clear to all participants that their responses were anonymous and that they could withdraw from the study at any time.

The researcher acknowledges that a face-to-face interview would have provided the greatest detail and would make the interview process more personal for participants; however, due to time and travel constraints, all interviews were conducted over the phone.

Although the researcher employed such tactics as bracketing, peer review, and member checking, it is impossible to eliminate all researcher bias from such a study. Additionally, the study is limited in terms of the number of participants the researcher could interview from the 48 potential Illinois community college presidents. The study also only focused on the challenges facing Illinois community colleges in preparing emerging leaders for the unique role of leading Illinois community colleges.

It is also important to note that this study was conducted in the spring of 2019 during a time that preceded trustee elections. It should also be noted that the study was conducted prior to the COVID- 19 pandemic, which sent all higher education leaders into a new focus on crisis management as learning was transitioned into an online environment for all Illinois community college students. The challenges presented by this crisis would most likely change the focus and responses of these presidents if they were interviewed today, as this crisis impacted all Illinois community college presidents.

Implications for practice

Having a better understanding of the most effective ways current community college leaders prepared to lead these dynamic institutions, the challenges they have identified as the most pressing, the ways in which they manage those challenges, and the core competencies needed, provides a guide for those emerging leaders looking to prepare for the presidency and for those institutions looking to ensure they develop a leadership pipeline.

In the case of Illinois, the researcher believes the creation of a statewide leadership development program for emerging leaders would be beneficial to community colleges and the state of Illinois. The program should implement mentorship and should provide emerging leaders with information related to finance, enrollment management, working with elected boards, working with unions and collective bargaining agreements, navigating the legislative and legal compliance arena in higher education, and many of the other challenges presidents cited. This ongoing leadership academy

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should be data driven and should be developed to provide insight and education for emerging leaders in Illinois’ community colleges based on an annual survey/feedback from community college presidents in the state about current challenges. The challenges are numerous, but the threat of inaction could have too great an impact for the state through a loss in economic impact from these institutions.

Additionally, the notion that elected boards of trustees lack ongoing training and support should not go unnoticed. The need for formalized training for the elected boards was a major concern for many presidents. A statewide initiative that addresses the training and education needs of elected board members should also be considered by the Illinois Community College Board as well as the Illinois Community College Trustees Association.

Future research considerations

Additionally, one detail the researcher noted when doing the interviews was the differences in the way in which female presidents and male presidents described their pathway to the presidency. Female presidents described their preparation in a passive way using phrases such as “I was offered this position, then I was given this position, and then my mentor did this for me.” The majority of male presidents described their preparation in an active way using phrases such as “I took a job in this department, and then I earned a promotion to this position, before finally becoming president.” When asked about when they knew they wanted to become a president, female participants would respond with notions such as “I was just in the right place at the right time” or “I just got lucky.” Male presidents would often respond with definitive dates or years and explain how they were motivated toward that goal. Future research should focus on the ways in which female and male presidents prepare for the presidency in an effort to understand the different ways in which they learn, and to create more equitable opportunities for females to take on these leadership roles with confidence.

Conclusion

There remains a leadership crisis for community colleges at both the state and national levels. This study has provided a roadmap for how an emerging leader could best prepare for the presidency. Although the majority of presidents shared competencies that fell within the framework of the core leadership competencies established by the AACC (2013), they also expressed the need for presidents to exhibit courage, curiosity, self-awareness, self-reflection, and the importance of providing mentor- ship to emerging leaders.

Understanding the challenges these presidents identified and their advice to emerging leaders about leadership practices and leadership competencies also provides essential data that in total should inform a community college leadership development model for emerging leaders, individual community colleges, and the state. These community colleges play a critical role in terms of the economic impact they generate for the state, and ensuring their leaders are prepared to take on the challenges facing these institutions today is essential for their continued success.

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