Joe Sallustio sees a new type of president emerging
After interviewing more than 240 college and university presidents who were actively serving at the time of recording, The EdUp Experience co-founder and podcast host Joe Sallustio is stunned by the number who have since stepped down.
Executive leaders are locked in a relentless battle of resolve as financially strained institutions work to "re-prove" the value of higher education to increasingly skeptical student prospects, employers and the public.
"When decline and difficulty did come up, the president would describe the institution as resisting change or that innovation was being stifled," Sallustio says on The University Business Podcast. "Nobody wants to come on and talk about how they're in trouble."
Long-form conversations over the past four years have given Sallustio insight into the unique qualities that allow certain presidents to thrive in today's high-pressure environment, where leaders must instantly demonstrate their impact.
"You could waste your time sitting down and creating a 2040 strategic plan," he says. "You need a 2027 plan, because it's going to look completely different in two months if technology keeps moving at the rate that it is."
Presidents must lead innovation across five fronts to strengthen their institutions: academics, career-based skill development, credentialing, operations and public relations.
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Waiting to see how others adapt can be costly, says Sallustio, co-author of the new book "Beyond Survival: Reporting from the Front Lines of Higher Education's War for Relevance."
"The choice to be proactive and at the front of the line [of change] has much greater reward than it ever has," he says. "The hard truth is that many institutions are choosing a defensive position, and that is going to isolate them."
Enrollment and student success leaders are increasingly viewed as viable candidates for the top job as boards seek executives who understand rapidly changing learner expectations.
"Every single president says, 'We are student-first college or university,' but the proof in that is a little murky," he says. "It's not true."
"Earlier in my career, I thought the best leader would be somebody who came from outside the industry, or who could come in from tech," he adds. "I see those leaders fail most often."
Professional background notwithstanding, the most successful presidents frame their deep knowledge of the sector with a "futurist" lens, Sallustio says. Executives must spend significant time preparing their institutions for disruptions ahead.
They also recognize that consensus, while desirable, cannot become an obstacle to action. "To seek consensus is impossible," Sallustio says. "We try, but it's very hard to achieve."
Rather than focusing on vocal detractors, leaders can move more decisively by building support among those who share a commitment to innovation and institutional change.
The work is rarely easy.
"You gotta have good people around you who are willing to do this hard work with you, and good people are hard to find," Sallustio concludes.
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