Research suggests that 80 percent of decisions made in institutions of higher education in the United States are made at the department level. Of the approximately 80,000 department chairs, a full 20 percent leave their positions each year. The number one reason chairs list for leaving their chairpersonship is because of noncollegial, uncivil faculty members. In an ongoing 11-year study of more than 2,100 chairs that I and my colleague Richard Riccardi have conducted, managing conflict has consistently been the second or third most important skill/competency that chairs have said they needed to be an effective chair.
Leading Like Lasso: Leadership Skills That Build and Sustain Positive Organizational Culture
On his first day coaching English football, Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, walks into the locker room with no playbook, no soccer experience, and no intention of pretending he
Deborah Erickson and Katie Fischer
September 2, 2025