Confer with confidants. Once your family is fully invested in your career aspirations, you need to assemble your team. Who are the mentors and trusted colleagues who will help you grow? Consider your network. Who can give you honest feedback and helpful direction? Take the bold step of talking with people that you know will be candid with you. Ask for their insight on where you can sharpen your skills. What aspects of your approach need to be strengthened to be ready for leadership at the highest levels? What additional experience do you need to obtain? Be clear that you are not looking for glib cheerleaders but straight-shooters. I have been assisting colleges with executive searches for decades. I am regularly approached by professionals considering career advancement who are looking for a sounding board. I am always happy to offer a listening ear and share suggestions from my vantage point.
Hone your skills. Based on the input of your colleagues and mentors, develop a strategic plan to grow in the competencies needed for a successful college president. Don’t just dream of a futur, work to make it a reality. You can’t do everything at once, so focus your energies on one area at a time. Deploy new strategies, reflect on your results, and integrate successful methods into your approach. How can you enhance your fundraising prowess? In what ways can you sharpen your communication practices? How might you bolster your people skills? This will do more than make you a stronger president in the long run; it builds momentum that gets you there. Undertaking training and spearheading new initiatives will naturally grow your network, which can open opportunities for advancement. It will also provide abundant examples to discuss in your interviews for presidential positions.
One final word of encouragement. Many individuals aspire to leadership because they are passionate about ways they can innovate and improve. That drive and confidence is essential. However, it’s also vital to approach the office of president with humility, recognizing the contributions of others. Phil Greenwald, President, Mid-America Christian University, says that one of the precepts that guides his work is “honor the saints on whose shoulders we stand.” This broader perspective energizes his work. Greenwald explains, “This principle guides me in remembering, celebrating, and lifting up the hard work of those who have gone before us and paved the way for our present reality and future success. These are the alumni, leaders, donors, and community supporters who have blessed our institution through their time, talent, and financial gifts. When we honor them, we stand on their shoulders and hope to continue the mission of the institution by seeing a bit further down the road.”
Cheryl Hyatt is a founding partner and CEO of Hyatt – Fennell, Executive Search Plus and President and owner of The Charitable Resources Group, Inc.
- Entry-level IT: Clearing misconceptions in the AI era - August 26, 2026
- To rebuild adult learner confidence, universities must first earn their trust - August 24, 2026
- Schools are building AI rules before they know the destination - August 17, 2026