Curated Resources for Academic Leaders
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to upgrade the level of teaching and learning in your department or college. Maybe you need a new strategic plan, or want to make faculty evaluation meaningful rather than meaningless, or simply to get everyone pulling in the same direction. Triangle is here for you with a constantly growing set of tools and resources.
A Leadership Collection from the University of Illinois and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore
Access the Collection - https://lcpathways.web.illinois.edu/
Becoming a Department Chair
Roles and Responsibilities of Department Chairs
https://www.uky.edu/ofa/sites/www.uky.edu.ofa/files/uploads/HECHT_roles_respon.pdf
Constructing the Role of Department Chair
https://wmich.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/u108/2015/wmu-ace-constructing-chair.pdf
What New Department Chairs Need to Know
https://www.chronicle.com/article/what-new-department-chairs-need-to-know/
Transitions: From Faculty Member to Department Chair
Twelve Tips for Department Chairs
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/twelve-tips-for-department-chairs
Myths that Make Department Chairs Think They are Powerless
Myths That Make Chairs Feel They Are Powerless | Saint Mary's College (stmarys-ca.edu)
Words of Advice from Chairs and Deans
Words of Advice from Chairs and Deans (acenet.edu)
The Call to Administer in Academia
https://www.chronicle.com/article/administration-can-be-a-calling
Change Management
On Change III from the American Council on Education (ACE)
McKinsey Guide to Influencing Change
The Challenge of Change—An Article by Former Macalester College President Brian Rosenberg
https://www.chronicle.com/article/higher-eds-ruinous-resistance-to-change
Deanship
Ten Suggestions for a New Academic Dean
https://www.chronicle.com/article/10-suggestions-for-a-new-academic-dean/
Seven Essential Qualities in a Good Academic Dean
https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/seven-essential-qualities-in-a-great-academic-dean/
Why Even Good Leaders Make Enemies
https://www.chronicle.com/article/why-even-good-leaders-make-enemies
How Good Leaders Say No
https://www.chronicle.com/article/admin-101-how-good-leaders-say-no
The Vision Thing
https://www.chronicle.com/article/administration-101-the-vision-thing/
Difficult Conversations
Summary of Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most (book by Stone, Pattyon, and Heen)
difficult-conversations-summary.pdf (harvard.edu)
Diversity and Inclusion
7 Guiding Principles for a JDEI Policy That Isn’t Just Hot Air from Blue Avocado
Executive Leadership
How to be a Great 21st-Century CEO from McKinsey
Faculty Evaluation
Making Faculty Evaluations Count
The Challenge of Evaluating Faculty Colleagues
Let’s Not Kill Performance Evaluations Yet
https://hbr.org/2016/11/lets-not-kill-performance-evaluations-yet
Getting Rid of Performance Ratings: Genius or Folly? A Debate
Goal Setting
Leading in the Academy
A 10-Point Survival Guide to Being, and Staying, an Academic Leader
How to Manage the Strategic Planning Process
https://www.chronicle.com/article/admin-101-how-to-manage-the-strategic-planning-process/
The Art of Gracefully Accepting Defeat
https://www.chronicle.com/article/admin-101-the-art-of-gracefully-accepting-defeat
Are You Acting with Integrity of Just Sabotaging Yourself?
What to Know About Alumni Relations
https://www.chronicle.com/article/admin-101-what-to-know-about-alumni-relations/
Why It’s Hard to Operate Outside the Box in Academe
https://www.chronicle.com/article/admin-101-why-its-hard-to-operate-outside-the-box-in-academe/
Managing Up: 4 types of bosses and how best to manage them, according to science. from Fast Company
Leading Through Uncertainty
Managing the Academic Department
Conflict Management Tool
https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2015/02/20/advice-department-chairs-managing-conflict-essay
Purposeful Approach to Teamwork
https://www2.acenet.edu/resources/chairs/docs/Glenn_teams.pdf
A 10-Point Survival Guide to Being, and Staying, an Academic Leader
Dealing with Dysfunctional Academic Departments
Sage Advice for Department Chairs
Mentoring Faculty
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/career-development/2025/04/18/mentoring-era-uncertainty-higher-education (Article available for free with registration.)
New Senior Leaders (Heads of School)
Triangle Associates Tips for New Heads
LT_May1_2024.pdf (squarespace.com)
Strategic Planning
The Truth About Strategic Plans (Chronicle of Higher Education article)
https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-truth-about-strategic-plans
Strategic Planning in Higher Education
(Triangle Associates White Paper 001
Women in University Leadership
American Council on Education Resource Center for Women in Leadership
