Engines of Innovation by Holden Thorp

Author:Holden Thorp
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Published: 2010-04-10T04:00:00+00:00

6 Leadership

As we’ve said, innovation begins with entrepreneurial thinking, and more often than not such thinking starts with an individual and not a committee or task force. For universities to become the engines of innovation we envision, a unique brand of leadership is required, and it starts at the top. Judith Rodin, who served as the president of the University of Pennsylvania for many years, put it best: “We need to role model . . . those attributes we want faculty to emulate and create a climate that allows entrepreneurship and innovation to flourish.”1

In interviewing academic leaders who embrace an entrepreneurial leadership style, we discovered some key commonalities. First, an effective and entrepreneurial leader articulates the mission and values of the institution—a way of thinking about virtually every activity that takes place within the university community. Although typically broad and subject to interpretation, a well-crafted mission statement and a related set of values provide daily guidance to people all up and down the organizational chart. A stated mission is also inspiring. Going to work every day with the goal of addressing one of the world’s big problems is the kind of motivation that can lead to extraordinary performance by individuals and teams. Most important, a leader dedicated to innovation understands that merely administering a set of rules within a rigid and hierarchical structure will not foster innovation or an entrepreneurial approach to problems and opportunities. She understands that a broad mission is empowering, providing creative people throughout the institution the encouragement and space they need to innovate. When this empowerment is coupled with the concepts of accountability and impact, it creates a high-performance culture that embraces change as a form of opportunity.

Of course, the specifics of mission and values will vary from campus to campus, and there is no one right way. The history of most research universities provides a starting point for articulating the core beliefs of the institution. Developing the “right” mission is less important than committing to having one that the university community understands and embraces. For this to happen, the leader must be comfortable with conversations about aspirations and enduring values. In interviews, public appearances, small conferences, and even one-on-one meetings, the leader can articulate the most fundamental principles of the institution and use them to shape decisions about immediate problems. Similar behavior will be adopted throughout the university, and a sense of mission and deeply held values will permeate the culture. A leader understands this and views such a result as a top priority.

Second, the leaders we interviewed clearly understood that their job is more about creating a culture than tinkering with a structure. They know there is no shortage in academia of people adept at making, interpreting, and enforcing rules. In any large institution there is an important role for the rule makers, and effective leaders understand and respect the function these people play in allowing the institution to function efficiently, consistently, and transparently. But an entrepreneurial culture thrives in a climate that celebrates creativity, innovation, and excellence.

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