The success of chairs and deans in their leadership depends on their ability to effectively manage conflicts of varying degrees and intensity and negotiate varying personalities and needs all within their different organizations. Essentially, their leadership responsibilities often involve conflict management, which if managed ineffectively can jeopardize or slow an institution’s success. Effective Leadership Communication outlines communication strategies that support effective leadership through a series of questions and prompts. The book guides an individual through realistic situations from various perspectives to enable the reader to develop a better understanding of leadership and establish their style of managing conflict. Additionally, the skills gained from this book also permits academic leadership to have more control over communication in various situations, thereby empowering them by enabling them to be more in control. The book seeks to establish a strong foundation for effective leadership communication that will help develop appropriate and fruitful leadership styles to be able to manage even difficult situations.
As the title indicates, it is a book targeting chairs and deans in higher education, which can be used for leadership development programs. The authors of the book recognize that changes in higher education bring new and difficult challenges for deans and chairs. As such, effective leadership is critical and significant as it is expected to be the catalyst for implementing change. Deans and chairs have leadership responsibilities to administration and faculty where they are supposed to persuade others about the reason and context for change. Therefore, a significant portion of their job puts them in a position to manage and control conflict between involved parties. This calls for enhanced skills for deans and chairs that will make sure that they consider both first person and third person point of view (Higgerson, & Joyce, 2007). Lack of such expertise and abilities will make conflict management difficult since attempting to manage conflict from the first person’s perspective will make it impossible to understand the other side’s point of view. As a result, it will be hard to identify a common ground that could create a resolution.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The stated audience for the book is deans and chairs as a professional developmental resource. However, advising administrators and other executive can also find relevant and useful information to incorporate when navigating the highly political environment of higher education. Essentially, the book provides instructions for individuals of how to best execute their duties in order to increase the effectiveness of the outcomes. In addition, to help the reader better understand the various requirements, the authors use real examples and describe situations that deans and chairs are likely to encounter. This enables one to get an idea of what serving as a dean or chair entails and be able to envision how one can successfully lead through situations experienced by chairs and deans in any institution. At the end of each chapter, there are questions that serve to guide the reader through hypothetically real situations, as aspect considered the major strength of the book.
Today, higher education is going through changes that require chairs and deans to execute their duties for better outcomes efficiently. Moreover, since a significant part of their job revolves around conflict management, leaders must enhance their personal and professional skills. As such, the book offers a variety of solutions to most situations a leader encounters and helps improve the communication aspect of leadership. The authors’ underlying premise in this book is that proficiency in moving between the first and third persons is an essential strategy for managing conflict effectively. The book asserts that mastering this skill can play a major role in influencing one’s willingness to serve in a leadership position (Higgerson, & Joyce, 2007). Consequently, this skill also allows academic leadership to gain more control during communication in a particular scenario, an aspect that helps to feel more in control as a leader in any situation encountered. Working through this book will enable one to efficiently manage conflict and difficult people in their line of duty.
The book is built on a pragmatic program that any chair or dean can consult when faced with a situation in real life to achieve expected results. The authors elaborate effectively on how to go about complex situations that might be difficult to conceptualize from multiple perspectives. In addition, the case studies are reasonable and act like a suitable literally device to strategically explain how various decisions can impact an institution; both in negative and positive ways. The effectiveness of the book is further strengthened by the fact that the authors have exceptional experience, being vice-presidents in higher education. Through a simple concept of live in the sunshine, the authors have developed a concise text addressing issues that face chairs and deans. Consequently, they have formulated a framework that defines skills needed to succeed as a leader regardless of dynamic and fluctuating issues facing chairs and deans or facing higher education (Higgerson, & Joyce, 2007). These aspects make the book effective in tackling real life issues and enhancing leadership in communication.
Some aspects encouraged by the authors are not effective when leading people and expecting to be successful in managing conflicts. For instance, according to the book, surprises are not ideal and that leaders should instead become predictable. This is an ineffective strategy, especially when managing conflict or when looking to establish a change in an institution. If people familiarize with your methods of leadership, they will align their behavior to such methods even when they do not necessarily support your idea or are not committed to resolving conflicts so as to be done with the process. Furthermore, the authors depict the faculty as lacking in understanding of the institutional context, thereby setting a negative connotation that all faculty members are ignorant of the bigger picture (Higgerson, & Joyce, 2007). It is important to recognize that managing diversity respects multiple interpretations of the mission and is not only about noting that actions taken have greater purpose based on the mission.
The audience, especially chairs, deans or any other leader in the higher education will appreciate the book. The authors have provided comprehensive descriptions of various situations likely to be encountered in leadership under institutional contexts. Moreover, the book offers helpful solutions that ultimately promotes effective leadership in managing conflict and during communication. This methodology encourages even those that lack understanding of the institutional context as well as benefiting chairs and deans. Through the use of rich discussions and case studies in developing concepts, the authors highlight the essence of framing decisions, goals, and information in different scenarios. The book serves a guideline to chairs and deans in the higher education and any other individual working in such institutions (Higgerson, & Joyce, 2007). Any reasonable person seeking to improve their communication skills and leadership abilities will turn to this text.
In conclusion, effective leadership communication is essential for any leader not only in higher education, but in any environment. Moreover, due to the dynamic nature of situations, it is important to ensure that there are guidelines that provide direction in complex situations. As such, this book serves as a guide to chairs and deans in their line of duty to help them execute their duties effectively. Also, conflict management will be more successful, which will promote teamwork towards a single institutional goal. As a result, the chairs and deans can successfully effect change and lead people towards a better community successfully.
References
Higgerson, M. L., & Joyce, T. A. (2007). Effective leadership communication: A guide for department chairs and deans for managing difficult situations and people . Bolton, Mass: Anker Pub.
