Effective academic leaders teach us a great deal. They serve as inspiring role models, provide examples of best practices, and demonstrate that leadership at its best can utterly transform a college or university. But despite all the benefits we can derive from highly effective academic leaders, failed academic leaders actually teach us more. While much of the success that effective academic leaders have is due to their individual style and personality—which is often so unique to them that it can’t really be borrowed by anyone else—failed academic leaders provide a practical education in what not to do. Although their failures may also be due to their own styles and personalities, we can learn to avoid these mistakes and thus become at least a bit more effective in our own leadership environments.
Beyond Programs: Leadership Lessons from Ireland’s Inclusive Universities
During a recent sabbatical studying inclusive postsecondary education in Ireland, I visited four universities—University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and Mary Immaculate
Ashley Rodrigues
July 20, 2026
