Higher education leadership has grown increasingly complex, with university and college presidents facing a range of multifaceted challenges. These include political pressures, declining enrollments, questions around the return on investment (ROI) of a college education, and growing scrutiny of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. In addition, the already demanding role of college presidents is made more difficult by a notable trend: the average tenure of a college president has steadily decreased. According to recent research, the average tenure of a college president was 5.9 years in 2022, down from 6.5 years in 2016 and 8.5 years in 2008 (Sandler, 2024). Furthermore, more than 55% of current presidents plan to step down within the next five years, underscoring the pressure-filled nature of the job (Sandler, 2024).
This growing complexity was captured in a national study on presidential leadership, led by Jorge Burmicky and Kevin McClure, in partnership with Academic Search, the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). The study surveyed over 700 sitting college and university presidents and conducted focus groups with 14 current presidents to identify the key competencies necessary for success in today’s higher education landscape (Burmicky, McClure, & Ryu, 2024). Seven core competencies emerged from the research: trust-building, resilience, communication, crafting and leading a competent team, emotional intelligence, courage, and data acumen. The study highlighted that trust-building was deemed “very relevant” by 96% of survey respondents, while resilience and communication were rated as crucial by 92% and 90%, respectively. These competencies empower leaders to guide their institutions through challenges and change, making them well-suited to navigate both the immediate demands and long-term strategic goals of modern higher education. Trauma-informed leadership offers a complementary framework that intersects with these core competencies, enhancing their impact and ensuring leaders can address both the structural and emotional needs of their institutions.
The increasing complexity of the presidency has made it essential for senior leaders to model these competencies effectively, as their behaviors directly shape the attitudes and actions of their teams and influence the broader institutional culture. Good and bad habits/behaviors alike are projected throughout a division and campus, heavily impacting the campus climate. Leadership decisions, particularly those that are politically sensitive or unpopular, can often lead to early departures, as reflected in the shortening tenures of presidents. Yet, leaders who prioritize building trust and resilience and who communicate with empathy are better equipped to navigate the turbulent landscape of higher education today.
Overview of Core Leadership Competencies in Higher Education
The seven key competencies for university presidents are essential not only for presidents but also for leaders across all institutional levels. These competencies form the foundation of leadership, regardless of the specific position held. By embodying these behaviors, leaders set a powerful example that permeates throughout the institution, influencing the actions and attitudes of other leaders, staff, and faculty. This, in turn, impacts the student experience and their success, either directly or indirectly.
As McClure noted during a recent webinar sharing their findings, “What does it look like to be an effective college president? What are the skills and abilities that we ought to be looking for or trying to develop in emerging leaders?” (Academic Search, 2024). This insight highlights the need for a holistic and inclusive leadership development approach that integrates empathy, resilience, and mindfulness of the emotional and psychological needs of team members.
Given the wide range of challenges higher education institutions face, from political pressures to enrollment declines, integrating these competencies across leadership roles can enhance the institution’s ability to navigate change effectively while preparing leaders for the future. However, as leadership evolves to meet these challenges, another critical approach is emerging: trauma-informed leadership. This approach connects seamlessly with the seven core competencies, as trauma-informed practices amplify their effectiveness, particularly during times of institutional transition.
Connecting Trauma-Informed Leadership to Core Competencies
Trauma-informed leadership focuses on recognizing the emotional and psychological impacts of trauma and stress on individuals within an organization. The stress and trauma may be from work-related or personal experiences. By fostering emotional safety and emphasizing empathy, trauma-informed leadership enhances each of the core leadership competencies, particularly in times of change or stress. As the demands on higher education leaders grow more complex, understanding how trauma-informed practices can amplify key competencies will be essential for building resilient, compassionate, and effective leadership.
Moreover, leaders who embody trauma-informed practices not only enhance their own effectiveness but also influence the broader organizational culture. Their behaviors can encourage or discourage similar practices among others, thereby shaping the institution’s collective approach to challenges.
Defining Trauma-Informed Leadership
Trauma-informed leadership acknowledges the prevalence of trauma and stress within academic institutions and seeks to create environments where individuals—students, faculty, and staff—feel safe, supported, and empowered to succeed. As noted by Jason Lynch (2022), trauma-informed leaders actively foster emotional safety and recognize how unaddressed trauma can hinder engagement, performance, and resilience. This leadership style encourages an empathetic approach to management, particularly when addressing organizational changes or challenges.
Trauma-informed leadership goes beyond merely recognizing trauma; it involves proactive measures to support healing and growth. This may include providing resources for mental health, fostering a culture of open communication, and ensuring that institutional policies reflect a commitment to emotional well-being. In this way, trauma-informed leadership not only addresses the immediate effects of trauma but also builds long-term institutional resilience by promoting a culture of care.
The Intersection of Trauma-Informed Leadership with Key Competencies
Trauma-informed leadership recognizes the presence and impact of trauma in individuals’ lives and integrates this understanding into organizational practices, policies, and culture. By emphasizing empathy, safety, and support, this leadership style enhances each of the seven key competencies identified by Burmicky and McClure, amplifying their effectiveness and fostering an environment where all members can thrive.
- Trust-Building:Trauma-informed leaders prioritize creating a safe and transparent environment. They understand that past traumas can affect how individuals perceive authority and trust. By promoting emotional and psychological safety through consistent communication, reliability, and respect for confidentiality, leaders foster a sense of security. This approach encourages open dialogue and reduces fear of judgment or retribution, thereby strengthening trust within the organization.
- Resilience: Recognizing the impact of stress and trauma on well-being, trauma-informed leaders actively promote resilience by supporting self-care and offering resources for mental and physical health. They encourage autonomy and empower employees by involving them in decision-making processes. By acknowledging and addressing signs of burnout or stress, leaders help their teams adapt to challenges more effectively, balancing institutional needs with the well-being of team members.
- Communication: Trauma-informed leaders communicate with empathy and cultural sensitivity, tailoring their messages to consider the emotional and psychological states of their audience. They ensure that communication is inclusive and respects diverse backgrounds and experiences. By fostering psychological safety, leaders encourage open and honest conversations, which enhances understanding and collaboration across the institution.
- Crafting and Leading a Competent Team: Emphasizing empowerment and choice, trauma-informed leaders build teams that are both competent and collaborative. They promote peer support and mentorship, fostering an environment where team members feel valued and supported. By implementing inclusive practices and acknowledging diverse experiences, leaders cultivate creativity and innovation within their teams. This approach leads to more resilient teams capable of addressing complex challenges.
- Emotional Intelligence: Trauma-informed leadership inherently involves a high level of emotional intelligence. Leaders are attuned to the emotional and psychological needs of others, recognizing signs of trauma or stress. This awareness allows them to respond appropriately, offering support and resources when needed. By modeling empathy and understanding, leaders create a culture that values emotional well-being, strengthening interpersonal relationships and team cohesion.
- Courage: Addressing systemic inequities and fostering an inclusive environment requires courageous leadership. Trauma-informed leaders are willing to confront injustice and make difficult decisions that prioritize the well-being and safety of all individuals. They understand the potential personal and professional risks involved, such as facing backlash or jeopardizing their positions. Nevertheless, they act with integrity and empathy, promoting ethical standards and supporting those who have experienced trauma or discrimination.
- Data Acumen: While data-driven decision-making is essential, trauma-informed leaders interpret data through the lens of human experience. They recognize that performance metrics may be influenced by factors such as stress, trauma, or mental health challenges. By contextualizing data with an understanding of these factors, leaders make more compassionate and informed decisions. This approach ensures that policies and strategies address not just numerical outcomes but also the underlying human elements that affect those outcomes.
By integrating trauma-informed practices into each of these competencies, leaders enhance their ability to support their teams effectively. This holistic approach leads to a more inclusive, empathetic, and resilient organizational culture, where individuals are empowered, and the institution is better equipped to navigate challenges and change.
Trust-Building in Challenging Situations
Trust is foundational to effective leadership at all levels. The study revealed that 96% of respondents emphasized trust-building as essential for leadership (Burmicky, McClure, & Ryu, 2024). Trust is built through transparency, predictability, and consistent communication. Leaders must cultivate environments where individuals feel safe to express concerns, share ideas, and take risks without fear of negative repercussions.
McClure explained that trust is established by “avoiding those moments of surprise… and being transparent and bringing information forward in meaningful ways” (Academic Search, 2024). This openness fosters confidence and collaboration, essential in challenging situations.
However, maintaining transparency is not always feasible, especially when legal, ethical, or confidential matters are involved. These constraints can undermine trust, requiring leaders to be intentional and strategic in how they communicate such limitations. Even when full disclosure isn’t possible, honesty about why transparency cannot be achieved helps mitigate the risk of damaging trust.
Leaders play a critical role in modeling trust-building behaviors. Their approach to transparency and communication sets the tone for the entire institution. If they handle constraints with honesty and integrity, it encourages a culture where trust is maintained even under challenging circumstances. Conversely, if they handle these situations poorly, it can lead to a culture of mistrust.
Resilience: Leading Through Challenges and Change
Resilience is critical for leadership, especially as higher education faces continual disruption and challenges. As I discussed in my article “Tradition to Transformation: The Need and Urgency in Navigating Change in Higher Education Institutions,” change is inevitable but often met with resistance (Pillar, 2024b). Resilient leaders adapt quickly, manage resistance, and maintain a forward-focused trajectory even through adversity.
To foster resilience, leaders must sometimes “ease on the gas” and balance urgency with strategic patience. Leading through challenges and change doesn’t mean always pushing forward at full speed. Instead, resilience often involves taking time to ensure the well-being and care of your team, recognizing that an overemphasis on urgency can lead to burnout.
When leaders demonstrate this balance, they set a precedent that supports a healthier work environment. This behavior influences others to adopt similar practices, promoting a culture that values both performance and well-being.
However, it’s important to recognize that making necessary but unpopular decisions can carry personal risks for leaders, including the possibility of early departure from their roles. This reality can make it more difficult for leaders to act courageously, but it also underscores the importance of resilience—not just in enduring challenges but in being willing to face potential personal costs for the greater good of the institution.
Effective Communication: Tailoring Messages with Empathy
Effective communication is critical for leadership, especially during times of challenge or change. The ability to deliver clear, actionable messages while considering the emotional and psychological state of the audience ensures that information resonates and builds trust. As McClure noted, “Leaders must tailor their messages for different audiences and use data to tell compelling stories” (Academic Search, 2024).
However, leaders must also be careful that their communication, while empathetic, is not perceived as condescending. As Sage Godrei points out, empathy can sometimes unintentionally come across as patronizing if not expressed thoughtfully. For example, offering unsolicited advice or presuming to understand someone’s feelings without fully engaging with their perspective can create a sense of superiority, making the recipient feel unheard or invalidated (Godrei, 2023). This underscores the importance of active listening and asking questions to clarify the emotional state of team members rather than assuming how they feel.
Trauma-informed leaders understand that communication must be both clear and empathetic, avoiding any tones that might be perceived as dismissive or patronizing. When dealing with stress or challenges, team members may require more personalized communication that takes into account their emotional state. Additionally, respecting the views and insights of others, even if outside your immediate office or division, is vital for meeting key outcomes. Dismissing someone’s perspective simply because they do not report directly to you can deteriorate collaboration and damage workplace and campus climate.
Godrei emphasizes that empathy should focus on understanding, not judgment. Leaders should avoid positioning themselves as the sole authority on how others should feel or respond. Instead, they should foster an environment where feedback and emotional expressions are welcomed and validated (Godrei, 2023). This approach not only fosters a more supportive and understanding organizational climate but also builds stronger relationships among colleagues, ultimately leading to more effective teamwork and a more cohesive institution.
Being mindful of one’s own behaviors and communication practices is essential in avoiding condescension. By leading with genuine curiosity, asking questions, and showing respect for the experiences of others, leaders can avoid potential pitfalls and create a space where communication flows freely and respectfully.
Diverse Leadership Styles Based on Identity
A significant finding in the study was how leadership styles differ based on identity. Women and people of color often emphasize emotional intelligence, equity, and collaborative leadership, bringing new dimensions to decision-making and problem-solving (Burmicky, McClure, & Ryu, 2024). These diverse perspectives are invaluable in today’s complex educational environment.
Trauma-informed leadership recognizes the value of diverse leadership styles, using them to build more inclusive, emotionally intelligent environments. Institutions benefit when their leaders leverage different perspectives to foster collaboration and make innovative decisions.
Campus leaders who embrace and model appreciation for diverse leadership styles encourage a culture that values inclusivity and equity. This modeling can help spread positive behaviors throughout the institution, impacting campus culture and climate positively.
Crafting and Leading a Competent, Collaborative Team
Leadership success is inherently linked to the ability to build and sustain competent, collaborative teams. For college presidents and senior leaders, assembling empowered teams that can execute institutional strategy is critical. In “Leading from the Heart of Higher Education,” I emphasized how collaboration and breaking down silos drive institutional progress (Pillar, 2024a). Middle leaders, such as associate provosts, deans, and directors, play a crucial role in translating high-level strategic vision into actionable plans (Pillar, 2024a). These leaders serve as the bridge between senior leadership and the day-to-day operations that ensure institutional success.
Building and sustaining teams requires both top-down and bottom-up efforts. Trust and open communication set the tone for collaboration, empowering team members to take ownership of institutional goals. Positive leadership behaviors, particularly those that foster transparency and collaboration, can cascade through departments, influencing the entire institution. Conversely, negative behaviors can disrupt institutional culture, leading to disengagement and inefficiency.
Building and Empowering Collaborative Cabinets
The study by Burmicky, McClure, & Ryu (2024) highlighted the importance of assembling diverse and collaborative cabinets at the presidential level. College presidents must draw from a variety of perspectives and experiences to ensure that leadership teams are well-rounded and capable of addressing challenges from multiple angles. This diversity within the cabinet creates an adaptable and innovative leadership environment, where different viewpoints contribute to stronger decision-making processes. However, this collaborative approach should extend beyond the senior cabinet. It’s equally important that collaboration permeates throughout the institution, fostering a culture where leaders and teams at all levels work together toward common goals.
By empowering collaborative cabinets and encouraging diverse input from across the organization, leaders can more effectively manage the complexities of higher education. This inclusive approach ensures that multiple perspectives are considered, leading to more robust solutions and a more cohesive strategy for institutional success.
Empowering Teams at All Leadership Levels
Empowering diverse teams across all leadership levels—including vice presidents, deans, directors, and mid-level managers—creates a ripple effect of accountability, innovation, and inclusivity. When senior leaders embrace collaboration, they set the tone for others across the institution. Their behaviors, whether positive or negative, can significantly impact the campus culture. Good habits like inclusivity and empowerment foster a more engaged and effective workforce, while negative behaviors can lead to a detrimental atmosphere.
Trauma-Informed Team Building
Trauma-informed leadership enhances team-building by acknowledging the emotional and psychological experiences of team members. Leaders who recognize these needs foster environments where team members feel valued, safe, and heard. This approach not only strengthens teams but also encourages innovation and creativity. In “Tradition to Transformation,” I explored how resistance to change often stems from fear and emotional reactions (Pillar, 2024b). Leaders who adopt trauma-informed practices help alleviate these barriers, promoting open communication and a culture of trust that fosters collaboration.
Clear communication and emotional intelligence, as explored in “Data-Informed Leadership in Higher Education,” are essential for ensuring that decisions—especially those driven by data—are implemented smoothly across departments (Pillar, 2024a). When leaders provide clarity and foster a supportive environment, they enable cross-functional collaboration and reduce friction that often arises during institutional change.
In times of disruption, whether due to financial pressures or declining enrollments, maintaining team cohesion becomes even more important. Trauma-informed leadership helps sustain teams by providing emotional support and fostering resilience. Leaders who understand the emotional landscape of their teams can better guide them through periods of uncertainty, encouraging adaptability and long-term collaboration. As I noted in “Tradition to Transformation,” balancing the urgency of institutional change with strategic patience is vital (Pillar, 2024b). This balance helps maintain team morale while ensuring that change initiatives are effective and sustainable.
In politically sensitive situations, leadership decisions can be particularly challenging. These moments often require courage, as decisions may be unpopular or involve significant risk. Leaders who are willing to make difficult but necessary decisions provide a powerful example for others, reinforcing a culture of integrity and collaboration. This demonstration of courage inspires teams to stay committed to institutional goals, even in the face of adversity (Pillar, 2024b).
Ultimately, the ability to craft and lead competent, collaborative teams hinges on the environment that leadership creates. By fostering open communication, embracing trauma-informed practices, and navigating change with resilience, leaders can build teams that are not only effective but also engaged and innovative. A collaborative, empowered leadership culture ensures that institutions are better equipped to handle complex challenges and drive long-term success.
Leading with Courage: Confronting Equity and Change
Courageous leadership is essential for navigating institutional change and confronting systemic inequities. Recent political attacks on DEI efforts illustrate the urgent need for leaders to demonstrate bravery by standing up for their institutions’ values. These challenges, particularly those involving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), highlight the importance of maintaining a principled stance even when faced with external pressures. In “How College Leaders Can Stand Up for DEI Workers and Programs” (McClure & Gannon, 2024), the authors emphasize the challenges DEI professionals encounter, particularly in states where legislation has directly targeted and sought to dismantle DEI initiatives.
Courageous leadership means more than supporting DEI programs privately; it requires public advocacy and action that align with the institution’s mission and values. Leaders must resist the temptation to sideline these initiatives when they become politically charged, as doing so can undermine institutional integrity and alienate marginalized groups. By standing up for DEI programs, leaders set a powerful example for their colleagues, students, and the broader community, signaling that inclusivity and fairness are non-negotiable values.
However, it is also important to acknowledge the reality that standing up for DEI and other equity-driven initiatives can come with significant personal and professional risks. In politically charged environments, leaders who take strong, principled stands may face backlash that could lead to their early departure from leadership positions. This reality makes it more challenging for leaders to make necessary but unpopular decisions, as the fear of losing their position or facing public scrutiny can be a deterrent. Yet, courageous decisions often distinguish transformative leaders from those who merely maintain the status quo (Pillar, 2024b). The willingness to confront these risks is a hallmark of true leadership—leaders who stand firm in their values, despite the potential consequences, ensure that their institutions remain committed to inclusivity, justice, and integrity.
This courage also extends beyond DEI. Institutions face numerous politically sensitive issues, from funding debates to academic freedom challenges, and leaders must be prepared to make decisions that may not always be well-received. Ultimately, courageous leaders create a legacy of resilience and integrity, ensuring that their institutions can navigate turbulent times with their core values intact.
Data Acumen: Leveraging Human Context in Leadership
The ability to gather and use relevant data to inform decisions is critical across all leadership levels. In a data-driven world, leaders must not only rely on numbers but also interpret them with insight and empathy. As McClure noted, “You don’t need to be a numbers person to be a data person, but you must understand how to leverage your team’s skills to support data-driven decision-making” (Academic Search, 2024). Data can provide a roadmap for institutional success, but only when leaders understand how to balance quantitative insights with the complexities of human experiences. In “Data-Informed Leadership in Higher Education,” I emphasized the importance of robust data governance and decision-making processes that integrate both empirical evidence and the lived experiences of students, faculty, and staff (Pillar, 2024c).
Humanizing Data with Trauma-Informed Leadership
Trauma-informed leadership offers a powerful framework for interpreting and using data effectively. Leaders who understand how emotional and psychological stress impacts performance and retention can use this knowledge to interpret data with greater nuance. As Lynch (2022) pointed out, stress, trauma, and mental health challenges significantly affect outcomes in higher education. Retention rates, student performance metrics, and even faculty engagement numbers can be influenced by factors that raw data alone may not capture. By contextualizing data within the human experience, trauma-informed leaders ensure that their decision-making processes reflect a holistic understanding of the institution’s ecosystem.
For example, enrollment and retention data can provide insight into academic trends, but without considering the personal, emotional, or economic stressors impacting students, leaders may miss key opportunities for intervention and support. This is where campus surveys as well as the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) and National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) can provide very important context for noted trends and observations in retention, persistence, and graduation rates. However, significant delays or inaction to this data will only provide further negative impacts on clearly manageable challenges.
Leaders who embrace this approach model a compassionate, informed style of decision-making that encourages their teams to do the same. By prioritizing the human context behind the data, they foster a culture of empathy and accountability that drives more effective and sustainable outcomes. This approach not only leads to better decisions but also builds trust within the institution, as students, faculty, and staff feel seen and supported in their experiences.
Incorporating trauma-informed practices into data-driven leadership ensures that numbers are not just analyzed in isolation but are used as a tool for enhancing the overall well-being and success of the institution. Leaders who contextualize data with empathy lead with compassion, making decisions that are not only informed by statistics but also aligned with the lived realities of their institutional community.
Practical Steps for Implementing Trauma-Informed Leadership and Cultivating Key Leadership Competencies
Implementing trauma-informed leadership and cultivating key leadership competencies across all levels requires intentional, structured approaches. Leaders must recognize that creating an environment where individuals can thrive involves more than addressing academic needs—it also demands attention to emotional well-being, psychological safety, and inclusivity. Below are practical steps that can help institutions integrate trauma-informed practices into leadership and foster the necessary competencies for sustained success.
1. Foster Emotional Safety:
Creating a culture of emotional safety is essential for fostering trust and collaboration. This involves regularly assessing the emotional well-being of staff and students through check-ins, surveys, and feedback loops. Leaders should ensure that individuals feel comfortable sharing concerns without fear of retribution. Beyond simply listening, leaders must act on the feedback they receive, demonstrating a commitment to addressing the concerns of their community.
Example: A university president could introduce regular “well-being town halls” where students and staff discuss mental health resources and stress management. This allows leaders to assess the emotional climate and adapt policies to create a more supportive environment.
2. Offer Training and Resources:
Providing ongoing trauma-informed leadership training is critical to help faculty, staff, and administrators recognize signs of stress, trauma, and burnout in others. This training equips leaders with strategies for addressing these issues compassionately and effectively. Training should also be extended to all levels of leadership, not just senior administrators, ensuring that trauma-informed practices permeate the entire organization.
Example: Organize workshops on recognizing burnout in both faculty and students, led by mental health professionals. These workshops can be supplemented with online resources, such as self-assessment tools or guides on fostering resilience in students and teams. Additionally, offering training on how to manage crisis situations with empathy ensures that leaders are prepared to handle sensitive circumstances appropriately.
3. Promote Self-Care and Reflection:
Normalizing self-care and reflection within teams is vital to maintaining resilience in the face of challenges. Leaders should encourage team members to take mental health days, schedule regular breaks, and engage in reflective practices that allow them to process their emotions. By modeling these behaviors themselves, leaders signal that self-care is not just permissible but expected.
Example: A dean could implement “wellness breaks” within department meetings, where team members pause to engage in brief mindfulness exercises or discuss stress-management techniques. Additionally, offering faculty and staff access to workshops on mindfulness, yoga, or meditation can provide practical tools for self-care. Leaders can also foster reflection by incorporating debrief sessions after major projects or stressful periods, allowing teams to evaluate what went well and where improvements can be made.
4. Create Cross-Departmental Collaboration:
Trauma-informed leadership thrives when there is collaboration across various departments, particularly those that offer emotional, psychological, or academic support. Counseling services, academic departments, and diversity offices should work together to address the holistic needs of students and staff. Cross-departmental collaboration ensures that support services are well-integrated, enabling a seamless experience for individuals seeking help.
Example: An institution could create a task force composed of representatives from counseling services, the office of diversity and inclusion, and academic advisors. This group would meet regularly to discuss trends in student well-being and strategize on how to provide integrated support. Collaboration between student services and academic advisors can also ensure that students dealing with trauma or stress have flexible options when it comes to course loads and deadlines, thus promoting a healthier academic experience.
5. Model the Competencies:
Leaders play a pivotal role in modeling trauma-informed practices and key leadership competencies, including trust-building, resilience, effective communication, and emotional intelligence. When leaders actively demonstrate these behaviors, they set an example for mid-level leaders and staff to follow. This ripple effect can dramatically shape campus culture, either for better or worse, depending on the behaviors being modeled.
Example: A provost might host an open forum for faculty and staff where difficult topics, such as mental health challenges or institutional stressors, are openly discussed. By leading these conversations with empathy and transparency, the provost demonstrates trust-building and effective communication. When leaders acknowledge their own struggles or mistakes and share how they’ve overcome challenges, they model resilience and encourage similar behaviors throughout the institution.
6. Monitor and Adjust Strategies:
Monitoring the effectiveness of trauma-informed strategies is critical to ensuring they remain relevant and impactful. Using tools like workplace climate surveys, retention data, and performance metrics can provide insight into whether the implemented practices are yielding positive outcomes. Leaders must be willing to make adjustments based on this data, refining their strategies to meet the evolving needs of their institution.
Example: An institution could conduct an annual climate survey focused on emotional safety, inclusivity, and leadership effectiveness. The results of this survey would guide adjustments in leadership training, resource allocation, or policy changes. Additionally, tracking student retention rates in relation to mental health support initiatives can provide data on the impact of trauma-informed practices.
Additional Considerations:
- Leaders should ensure that trauma-informed practices and leadership competencies are integrated into recruitment and onboarding processes. New hires should be introduced to these practices early on, setting expectations for a culture of support and collaboration.
- Institutions can create mentorship programs where experienced trauma-informed leaders coach newer leaders in adopting and practicing these competencies. This builds leadership capacity across all levels of the institution.
- Recognizing and celebrating team members who embody trauma-informed practices reinforces the importance of these behaviors. Public recognition or awards for individuals who exemplify leadership competencies can motivate others to follow suit.
By taking these concrete steps, institutions can foster an environment where trauma-informed leadership and key leadership competencies are not only embraced but become foundational to the institution’s culture. Leaders who prioritize emotional safety, model compassion, and encourage collaboration are well-positioned to cultivate resilient, engaged teams capable of navigating the complexities of higher education.
Conclusion
The competencies identified in the study—trust-building, resilience, communication, team-building, emotional intelligence, courage, and data acumen—are essential for leaders across all levels in higher education. Integrating trauma-informed leadership into these competencies enhances their effectiveness and relevance in today’s educational environment.
Leaders at all levels play a pivotal role in embodying these competencies. Their behaviors can positively or negatively impact campus culture and climate, influencing how others lead and interact within the institution. While taking courageous stands and making difficult decisions may carry personal risks, including the possibility of early departure, such actions are often necessary for the long-term well-being and integrity of the institution.
By developing and modeling these skills, we can create more resilient, compassionate, and effective institutions. The ripple effect of leadership’s actions underscores the importance of intentional, trauma-informed practices that not only address immediate challenges but also build a stronger, more cohesive organizational culture.
References
- Academic Search. (2024). Competencies for the college presidency webinar.
- Burmicky, J., McClure, K. R., & Ryu, W. (2024). Competencies for the college presidency: A national study of effective leadership in higher education. Academic Search.
- Godrei, S. (2023). When empathy becomes condescending. Medium. Retrieved from https://medium.com/@sagegodrei/when-empathy-becomes-condescending-889e0c2cdcaa
- Lynch, J. (2022). Trauma-informed colleges begin with trauma-informed leaders. Higher Education Today.
- McClure, K., & Gannon, K. (2024). How college leaders can stand up for DEI workers and programs. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
- Pillar, G. D. (2024a). Leading from the heart of higher education: Empowering mid-level leaders to drive transformation and student success. EdUp Experience.
- Pillar, G. D. (2024b). Tradition to transformation: The need and urgency in navigating change in higher education institutions. [https://gregpillar.com]
- Pillar, G. D. (2024c). Data-informed leadership in higher education: Challenges, solutions, and key data sources. [https://gregpillar.com]
- Pillar, G., Rutstein-Riley, A., Meriwether, J., Lawler-Sagarin, K., Ayabe, J., Nimmo, S., Fallon, A. M., Hoover, C., & Boules, R. (2023). Trauma-informed leadership: From awareness to action. AALI Senior Leadership Academy Closing Seminar.
- Sandler, M. (2024, February 29). Why it’s arguably the toughest time ever to be a university president. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelsandler/2024/02/29/why-its-arguably-the-toughest-time-ever-to-be-a-university-president/
Dr Pillar, thank you for this very helpful article. I’m sure will be helpful to many in higher education leadership.