Kevin Sanders's Linkedin Analytics

Here's a number that should stop us in our tracks: More than 50% of higher ed staff responded to a 2023 CUPA-HR survey saying they would likely look for a new job in the coming year. Yes—higher pay and flexible work help. But the most cited reasons for leaving? 🟦 Lack of professional development 🟦 Poor leadership 🟦 Toxic departmental culture Here’s the part most people miss: 👉 These are problems we can solve. And the fix doesn’t always cost a dime. At my last institution, we worked hard to do these 3 things: 1️⃣ We revamped onboarding: ✅ Created simple, living handbooks for each role ✅ Paired new hires with mentors ✅ Scheduled intro meetings with key people across campus 2️⃣ We offered real development: ✅ Sent staff to conferences ✅ Created team workshops ✅ Made time for learning—not just tasks 3️⃣ Invested in time together: ✅ Monthly all-staff lunches ✅ End-of-semester celebrations ✅ More face-to-face, less inbox overwhelm ✅ Celebrating personal & professional wins Here’s the kicker: 👉 Most of these ideas came straight from our staff. When people feel disconnected, it makes it that much easier to walk away. You can’t fix everything. But you can absolutely make things better. So, start with what you already have. ---------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership #LeadershipSkills

Late-night emails. Weekend calls. “Urgent” messages at 6 p.m. That used to be normal in our department. …then the pandemic made it worse. By the time we returned to campus, burnout wasn’t theoretical. It was visible— in faculty meetings, hallway conversations, and our inboxes. So we tried something simple: 👉 We recommended faculty and staff refrain from sending work emails after 5 p.m. or on weekends unless it’s an emergency. That’s it. For those who prefer catching up after hours, we encouraged scheduling emails for the next morning instead of firing them off at night. And guess what happened - ✅ My inbox stopped lighting up at night. ✅ People said they felt like they had “permission” to unplug. ✅ Urgent things? They waited. And nothing fell apart. Higher education isn’t an operating room. Real emergencies are rare. But exhaustion? That was daily. So here’s the lesson: You don’t fix burnout with a wellness seminar. You fix it by changing expectations. And you can start with something as simple as an email policy. ------------------------ ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #HigherEducation #Leadership #WorkLifeBalance #FacultyDevelopment #Productivity #EmailEtiquette #Wellbeing #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership #LeadershipSkills

Here’s what nobody tells you before you become a department chair: 1.) Your ideas matter…but your people skills matter more. 2.) If you want to enjoy the role, then protecting your time will be a necessity. Time management will be a constant challenge. 3.) The cavalry isn’t coming. You won’t get direction every step of the way. 4.) If you want to grow, you’ll more than likely need to seek out your own development opportunities. 5.) Your success isn’t about your accomplishments anymore - it’s about everyone elses. 6.) Diplomacy and mediation skills are highly valued. 7.) Even your most well-intentioned ideas that best serve the entire department may not receive 100% consensus. 8.) Your leadership will be judged by metrics that can take several years to change (enrollment, student success, faculty productivity). 9.) You’ll sometimes feel isolated, so finding a peer network on or off campus is crucial. 10.) You’ll probably develop a thick skin. 11.) You’ll be asked to handle crises that have no playbook (facility breakdowns, health emergencies, personnel issues). 12.) Your authority will be tested. 13.) You’ll have to give difficult feedback. 14.) HOW you make a decision will often be more important than WHAT decision you make. 15.) You won’t please everyone….and that’s okay. What’s something you wish you’d known before stepping into a leadership role? ------------------------------ ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders.  💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership #LeadershipSkills #HigherEdLeadership #AcademicLeadership #DepartmentChair #FacultyDevelopment #HigherEducation #LeadershipGrowth

At my last institution, our School of Music broke an enrollment record while the campus experienced a down year. Applications were up 37%. But the work to get there started 3 years earlier with these 4 questions: 1️⃣ How are we different from other programs? Nearly 70% of students attend a school within 2 hours of home (National Student Clearinghouse). That means most of your competition is local—and your story better be compelling. What *can* students get from you that they can’t get anywhere else? That answer should sit at the center of your messaging. 👉 Our answer? 🔹 Industry-connected learning from day one 🔹 Competitive tuition + modern curriculum (business, tech, entrepreneurship) 🔹 Diverse campus and community 🔹 Faculty who are top-tier and deeply engaged in day-to-day 2️⃣ How are we communicating with students? We were using emails and print letters. Gen Z? They live in texts, stories, and video. 👉 So we made changes: 🔹 Email drip campaigns throughout the admissions cycle 🔹 Recruitment zone targeting 🔹 Faculty intro videos 🔹 Text messaging with actual people, not bots 3️⃣ Why are students saying no to us? If you don’t collect data, you’re just guessing. 👉 We embedded a simple survey in the application process. The feedback helped us tighten the message and fix friction points. It asks: 🔹 Where did you hear about us? 🔹 What influenced your decision not to attend? 🔹 Rate your experience (1–5) 🔹 Optional comments (where the gold lives) 4️⃣ How are we sharing our success stories? Not all success stories matter equally in recruitment. New buildings, the latest faculty research, and curriculum changes are important—but… Students care most about *other* students. 👉 So we shared: 🔹 Experiences: Internships, student tours, community partners 🔹 Student Successes: Auditions, performances, competitions, publications And we made sure they tied directly back to what made us unique. Enrollment breakthroughs don’t happen because of a new campaign. They happen because of clarity. - Knowing who you are - Knowing who you serve - And knowing how you communicate it. --------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership

For higher ed leaders, the pressure point of the semester is here. And if your systems and processes are weak? You feel it. Here’s a way music has informed my leadership journey: The more structured your processes are, the more space you create for freedom, focus, and innovation. Sounds backward, right? We’ve been conditioned to see “systems” as the opposite of flexibility— as red tape, rigid rules... bureaucracy. But here’s the truth: Systems aren’t the ceiling. 👉 We should think of them as the floor. 🎶 Think of a world-class musician: They don’t walk into a concert hall deciding what key to play in. They’ve already: - Tuned their instrument - Rehearsed technical patterns - Prepared their mindset All of that is systematized. So that when the moment arrives? They’re free to express. To connect. To lead emotionally. 🏃‍♂️ Same goes for elite athletes: They don’t waste energy deciding what shoes to wear or how to stretch. They follow routines and systems— So they can focus on game-time decisions, strategy, performance, & instinct. 🎯 The same principle applies to higher ed leadership. If you’re spending your energy putting out fires like: 🔺 Faculty drama 🔺 Scheduling chaos 🔺 Missing forms 🔺 Inconsistent advising 🔺 Poor interdepartmental communication …you’re solving low-level problems that a system should already be solving for you. And what’s the cost? You lose the mental space and time to focus on what matters most: ✅ Strategic vision ✅ Organizational culture ✅ Faculty development ✅ Student success ✅ Partnerships and innovation Systematize what slows you down. So you can stop reacting And start focusing on what truly moves things forward. -------------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership

In higher ed, we often hide behind the word “average.” “That’s how most schools do it.” “That’s the national benchmark.” “We’re not behind—we’re right in the middle.” But... “Average” isn’t a quality marker. It tells you what everyone else is doing— Not whether it’s good. ...or meaningful. ...or worth doing at all. Surely, the goal isn't to be as good as everyone else? But, to be *so* good at something...  👉 that you stop looking sideways. Here's a thought: Stop asking, "How do we catch up?" And start asking, “What could we do better than anyone else?” What’s the hill you’re willing to climb alone— because no one else is on it? Your program should be creating its own category, not chasing the middle. Because average is the starting point. Not the destination. --------------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership

Planning a faculty meeting or retreat this fall? Here are 3 situations to avoid based on lessons I've learned: 1️⃣ The “Let’s Build Community!” Trap 🔸 What it sounds like: “We need some team-building activities.” 🔸 What usually happens: People roll their eyes at icebreakers, and bonding feels… forced. 👉 What I do now: I design small group exercises tied directly to the work at hand—brainstorms, short design challenges, or shared problem-solving. Connection happens when the work feels real. 2️⃣ The “We’re Aligned!” Assumption 🔸 What it sounds like: “We had great discussion. Everyone’s on the same page.” 🔸 But here’s the problem: Conversation ≠ clarity. People can walk out with totally different takeaways. 👉 What I do now: I end every meeting by asking each person to share their #1 takeaway. It’s a simple act that surfaces misunderstandings before they become setbacks. 3️⃣ The Presentation Overload 🔸What it sounds like: “We’ve packed in a lot of great info for context.” 🔸What actually happens: Too many presentations = passive participants = a checked-out room. 👉 What I do now: Shorten slides. Focus on interaction. Great meetings activate people—they don’t just inform them. ✅ Here’s the real lesson: A meeting isn’t great because you checked every box. It’s great because people left with clarity, energy, and a sense of shared ownership. Great facilitators like to say connection trumps content. 🧠 Leading a team this fall? Don’t just plan the agenda. Design the experience. 💬 What’s a small change that made your meetings or retreats actually work? ------------------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership #LeadershipSkills #AcademicLeadership #FacultyDevelopment #StrategicPlanning #ChangeManagement #TeamBuilding

About to negotiate a job offer in #highered? This is what I’ve learned from being on both sides of the table. There’s no shortage of advice out there, and most of it is tailored for corporate execs. (If you’re navigating a billion-dollar merger...I'm sure they're fantastic). But, in higher ed? That kind of overly-scripted, acronym-heavy advice can backfire. In our world, relationships matter deeply— and sounding like a negotiation playbook often takes you out of the moment. When you’re too focused on "saying it right," You lose authenticity (see #1) That said—a thoughtful approach can make a real difference. Not just in salary... but in professional trust and long-term collaboration. Here’s what’s worked for me and the candidates I’ve supported: 1️⃣ Be authentic. The person across the table might one day be your dean, colleague, or partner on a tough initiative. Lead with respect and transparency. 2️⃣ Do your homework. Know what’s typical for the institution, the role, and the market. And don’t just research salaries—understand what’s negotiable at your school. 3️⃣ Know your value. What do you bring that moves the needle for the institution? Share that—not as leverage, but as context for how you can contribute. Negotiating doesn’t have to feel adversarial. Often, you're working with someone bound by: - Approved budgets - Salary bands This is less Shark Tank and more strategic alignment. When I negotiate with a candidate, I like to think of it as partnering with them to get to a "yes." And the best negotiations? Both sides leave with clarity, goodwill, and a sense of shared investment in the work ahead. 👉 What’s the best advice you’ve received - or given - about negotiating? ----------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership #LeadershipSkills #HigherEd #Leadership #SalaryNegotiation #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerTips #HigherEducationLeadership #Collaboration #Advocacy

Deans and chairs, Please don't ‘reward’ your most reliable people with more work...because you're avoiding hard conversations with underperformers. Yes, your top performers might take on the extra tasks— but trust me, they notice when others aren’t pulling their weight. And over time, that frustration turns into disengagement or burnout. So, what can a leader do? ➡️ Go have the hard conversation. Show empathy, give constructive feedback, and... 👉 Hold everyone to the same standard. The truth is, growth often comes from being challenged— and I’ve seen people shine after getting a few more chances to perform. Who knows, some of the brightest stars in your department may have been the ones who were given the time, feedback, and support to turn things around. -------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership #LeadershipSkills #HigherEdLeadership #FacultyDevelopment #GrowthMindset #LeadershipLessons #AccountabilityMatters #InvestInYourTeam

Years ago, a former university president I served under shared in a radio interview that he prioritized attending football games and athletic events. (And, I remember this being a frequent faculty complaint) But then he explained his strategy: Athletic events were where he built relationships with donors. They weren’t always interested in touring the chemistry department, but he could go to a game, visit with them, and talk about the university’s successes and challenges. And during his 7 years as president, major gifts to academic programs skyrocketed. The takeaway lesson? 👉 We have to meet people where they’re at. Not where we wish they were. 1️⃣ Find common interests with our bosses, donors, colleagues, students, and community partners. 2️⃣ Build the relationship. 3️⃣ Then, create new bridges to other shared interests. It’s about listening. And then leading. That president knew how to do both. ------------------------------------ ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership #LeadershipSkills #RelationshipBuilding #Fundraising #AcademicExcellence #Engagement #StrategicNetworking #HigherEdInnovation

Here’s a secret many seasoned higher ed leaders won’t admit... We’re all figuring it out as we go. The best leaders I’ve worked with? - They weren’t the most credentialed. - They weren’t the loudest in the room. - They weren’t even the ones with the “right” answers. They were: 🔹 Curious 🔹 Calm when things got messy 🔹 Willing to listen 🔹 Not afraid to ask for help They made good decisions—even in the fog. Because they didn’t wait for clarity before taking action. (Spoiler: that moment never comes.) 📊 According to HBR, 61% of new leaders say they were unprepared for the realities of the job—and 50% don’t receive any formal leadership training. (link below) 👇 And yet… The best still rise. Not because they know it all— But because they know what matters: ✅ What you prioritize ✅ Who you ask for help ✅ And how you lead when you’re still learning I’ve seen brand-new department chairs outshine 10-year veterans. Why? Because they led with: Relationships over resumes. Progress over perfection. Curiosity over certainty. If you're interested in a higher ed leadership role start here: Be willing to grow, listen, and act— And that will put you ahead of the game. ----------------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to help other academic leaders. 💬 Follow for posts about higher education, leadership, & the arts. #LeadershipGoals #HigherEdSuccess #HigherEducation #departmentchairs #deans #programmanagers #academicleadership