Many student-facing leaders on college campuses work diligently to cultivate environments where students can thrive and be their authentic selves. But often, many higher education professionals do not get an opportunity to explore their own personal approaches to leadership as part of their work with students. In this essay, I argue that successful leaders in higher education must be willing to adopt a continuously self-reflective posture. They should prioritize this approach in the early stages of their careers as they actively consider how their own personal curricular and cocurricular experiences define their leadership DNA. Student-facing leaders should also consider the following questions:
How Leaders Shape, Signal, and Build Cultures: A Discussion Guide for Academic Leaders and Their Teams
Among the many desired traits most prized in academic leadership, the ability to shape (or reshape) institutional culture is sometimes overlooked in favor of fiscal acumen, the ability to drive
Lisa Jasinski
May 4, 2026
