Amidst a maelstrom of financial shocks and wider societal change, UK Higher Education is undergoing significant transformation. The widely adopted response is classic restructuring based on centralised control.
Paradoxically, whilst there’s growing debate about human-centred approaches to leadership (characterised by servant leadership, authentic leadership), these approaches are rarely evident on our campuses.
The toughest learning I’ve ever tackled across my career in HE has been this rather ephemeral concept of ‘managing upwards’. And I don’t think I’ve yet got to the finish line! I rather dislike the term, so I’ve rebadged it ‘vertical influence’ in this blog.
This is a tricky subject but one that I’ve been meaning to write about for a while. I’m talking about the first day that you find yourself ‘not employed’.
We’ve all been there – or will be at some point. It’s normal. A rite of passage that should be covered in all good careers training. To put this in context, most people I know – including me! – have been there. Many have been there several times over.