Now Available: Integrative Leadership: Leading in Challenging Times!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Brandy Jones
Telephone: 848-932-0788
Email: brandy.jones@gse.rutgers.edu
New Brunswick, N.J., March 9, 2021— The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, & Justice (Proctor Institute) is proud to announce the release of a new report, “What Type of Leadership is Needed Now? Integrative Leadership: Leading in Challenging Times.” The report articulates the benefits of using an integrative leadership approach to leading in challenging times by illustrating various leadership styles. This report is a part of a three-report research series examining leadership within the context of education, both at K-12 and higher education levels.
As mentioned in the report, leadership from a balanced practical and theoretical lens is advanced through an integrative approach to leading higher education institutions. The three leadership styles—management, democratic leadership, and transformative offer a framework for current and aspiring college leaders.
“As institutions grapple with simultaneous conflicts, the need for leadership efficacy becomes critical,” shared Carlos Nevarez, Professor at Sacramento State and author of the report. “This report provides an integrative framework of three leadership styles: management, democratic, and transformative, as well as examples of leaders who exemplify each style. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the skills necessary to lead in various contexts and gain a heightened self-awareness through leadership inventories.”
Alongside the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders are constantly faced with a complexity of challenges that are far-reaching and unprecedented. In this report, leaders are asked to reflect upon their own biases, critique unjust practices, advocate for marginalized groups, and engage in institutional change practices aimed at developing inclusive communities.
“Understanding the type of leadership style you possess is critically important to transforming your community,” shared Marybeth Gasman, Executive Director of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, & Justice. “This report not only deconstructs the differences between the various leadership styles, but it also provides readers with detailed advantages, disadvantages, examples, and several assessments that will helps readers understand their own approaches to leadership.”
It is highly recommended that leaders consider the following factors when leading institutions of higher education: the complexity of the task at hand, the level of knowledge and competency of those involved, the availability of resources, the urgency of the situation, and the culture of the organization. Adaptive leaders are aware of habitual behaviors so they can understand which style of leadership is most suitable for them within their organizations. Although the three leadership styles are presented individually, it is essential for leaders to view them as interdependent. This approach will help leaders contribute to their goals in the best possible way.
The report can be found here.
About the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice
The Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity, and Justice (Proctor Institute) is a national center that focuses on issues of leadership, equity, and justice within the context of higher education. It brings together researchers, practitioners and community members to work toward the common goals of diversifying leadership, enhancing equity, and fostering justice for all. The Proctor Institute is located at Rutgers University—New Brunswick, in the Graduate School of Education and houses the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI). Learn more at https://proctor.gse.rutgers.edu.
