Moving into Academic Leadership Roles
You made it through graduate school and possibly postdoctoral experience, and now you are doing what you dreamed of: teaching chemistry to college students! Hopefully, this position has been fulfilling, rewarding, and exciting for you. However, your next question may be, "How do I move into a leadership role within my department or college?"
First of all, you need to demonstrate that you can take on a leadership role not only by meeting the expectations set forth by your department or college but by exceeding them. Now, the expectations vary from institution to institution and, you might have chosen a place that allows you to blossom and grow as a professional.
For example, during my first semester teaching at College of the Canyons, I taught the classes as assigned with the intention to learn how the department developed the curriculum and to understand its role in meeting the goals set forth by the department. The following semester, I took the initiative and decided to create a new laboratory experiment that would enhance the goals for the first semester general chemistry curriculum. The current experiment was a simple flame test of various salts. However, I learned that one of the goals of the department is to incorporate instrumentation whenever possible into the earliest levels of chemistry. Therefore, it seemed logical to expand this simple flame test experiment to include the atomic absorption instrument owned by the department. Thus, I worked with the other professors who developed the current curriculum to get their opinion on my idea and their input on the new experiment. I believe it is important not only to contribute and enhance the department's goals whenever possible but also to do so with respect and consideration for your colleagues. After all, as new faculty members, we do have a fresh perspective but we also have a lot to learn from the veterans who have been teaching at the institution for a long time.
Enhancing the laboratory curriculum was a natural place for me to contribute to my department because I really enjoy creating new experiments and working with others on their development. You can exceed expectations for your department in numerous other areas of interest. For example, you could contribute to the revision process of the course outlines; improve means of departmental communication; coordinate new partnerships with the community, local businesses, or other academic institutions; establish a student club; or incorporate new educational technology such as online learning modules into the curriculum.
Once you have developed a clear pattern of exceeding expectations for your department (or college), when a leadership opportunity presents itself you will seem like a natural candidate for this opportunity. The opportunity could be in the form of chairing a newly formed college committee, getting involved in a shared-governance role, or chairing your department. For me, the opportunity was chairing the department.
As the department chair, I have encountered new challenges and lessons. As professors, we enjoy a certain degree of independence. However, as a new department chair, I found it challenging to manage a diverse group, each of whom enjoys various degrees of independence!
It is important to realize that every member of a department brings his or her unique skills and perspectives to the table, and that we are stronger as a whole than as individuals. Do your best to play to your peers' strengths while also pushing them beyond their comfort zones, which is easier said than done. I found various books about leading without authority. The ACS Leadership Development Course "Influencing Without Authority" is very helpful. Furthermore, you should develop a network of other leaders at your college or university to seek their advice and counsel, as they may have previously encountered (and solved) problems similar to yours.
Additionally, I found that I work best when the expectations and responsibilities are defined clearly, so I am more comfortable in making important decisions that affect my department and colleagues. Work with your dean or local area administrator to help define your role and the expectations of the college for your department. It remains important to respect your colleagues and include them as much as possible in the decision-making processes. However, this focus can be challenging as a department chair because factors outside the department must also be taken into consideration. These factors include working with other departments in your college and with the administration.
Your first leadership role will teach you a lot about yourself, your peers, and your college or university. Enjoy it as much as you can, and as you look back, make sure you see not just your missteps but your triumphs as well. Good Luck!
Rebecca A. Eikey, is the current Chemistry Department Chair at College of the Canyons