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The Art of Community College Leadership: Some Theories from the Field


The Art of Community College Leadership: Some Theories From the Field
By Tracy L. Edwards

Perhaps thousands of leadership books have been published. One of the foremost was written in 1978 by James McGregor Burns, a Harvard Ph.D. who later founded the Academy of Leadership at the University of Maryland. Earlier theories suggested that management and leadership were one and the same; Burns countered that they were separate and distinct. He characterized management as “transactional,” i.e., managers clarify the roles and tasks of subordinates, deal with operational issues, and connect day-to-day activities to institutional goals; “transformational” leaders are distinguished by a special ability to bring about organizational innovation and change. Burns' work fostered the creation of the study of leadership as a discipline beyond management and formed the cornerstone for many of the graduate leadership programs that were subsequently developed.

Master's, doctoral, postdoctoral, and professional administrative development offerings have focused on theoretical and tactical competencies, necessary requirements for community college administrative management. Technical attributes create proficient transactional managers. In turbulent times of funding challenges and accountability, what kinds of characteristics do leaders need to succeed? And can potential transformational leaders acquire both the science and the art of the craft?

Documented and tested approaches to community college administration have been published by many authors; one text often cited is Bohlman and Deal's Reframing Organizations, which focuses on how leadership can be approached through different “views” or “frames.” Shared Vision, by Roueche, Baker, and Rose, was one of the original perspectives on creating culture, mission, and values shared by all stakeholders – a primary need for organizational success. Meg Wheatley explored this from a postmodern aspect in her 1992 work, Leadership and the New Science.

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Dr. Susan Salvador
Office for Student Services
10/19/2004