Leadership & Innovation:case studies from the UK

Robin Middlehurst

The GAIHE Project

• Aims:• To map & promote best practices of

governance and management of innovation in European HE

• ‘Innovation – as an essential lever for the contribution of HE systems to the knowledge economy & lifelong learning’

Key questions

1. How can a culture of cooperation be developed between heterogeneous professionals?

2. How can knowledge & skills be shared to work more effectively?

3. What type of leadership can be established by these dynamics of innovation and change?

Outline agenda

• What do we mean by ‘innovation’ and ‘leadership’?

• UK case studies• Re-structuring to enhance ‘the student experience’• Leading inter-disciplinary research • Leadership for academic enterprise

• HE collaborations with public & private sector organisations

• Leadership dimensions: individual & organisational

Quality enhancement, innovation & change

1

Do (action, explanation)

3

Do differently (experiment, innovate)

2

Do better (continuous, incremental improvement)

4

Do differently & better (step-change, transformation)

Innovation & change

Ideas, creativity, discovery

‘Command & control’ ‘Collective leadership’

‘Leadership rotates’

Supportive leadership – ‘guide on the side’

‘Distributed leadership’

VisionDirectionChallenge Support

Case Study A: Towards a new model of integrated student support (King’s College, London)Case Study B: Super-convergence of library & student support services Liverpool John Moores University)Case Study C: The Super-convergence journey (University of Cumbria)Case Study D: Student Access to Services – Supporting Student Learning (new University)Case Study E: Super-convergence in Academic Services (University of Exeter)

Process of super-convergence: University of Exeter

• Bringing services together to create a ‘one-stop-shop’ for students

• Extensive collaboration internally & externally• Reducing duplication & sharing best practice• Enhancing the student experience• Responding to a changing HE landscape• Success: celebrate diversity & embed in life of

the University

Academic Services

• Mission: to deliver excellent services & resources to underpin the University’s ambitions in education & research

• Vision: ‘to be the best academic service in the UK’• Values:

• Collaborate across divisions to deliver excellent customer service

• Co-ordinate in order to be organised, dynamic & fast-moving• Create innovative services & solutions• Celebrate our successes

Making the change happen (1)

• Communicating the vision of the new Academic Services to staff

• Programmes of regular meetings• Coping with change workshops• Performance development reviews• Creating a communications’ manager

• IIP & Customer First – initiatives

• Staff Survey

Making the change happen (2)• Measuring the effectiveness of the Service

• Operational plans• KPIs• Scrutiny from the students

• Focus groups & feedback

• Professional Services’ Recognition Awards

• Successes• Attracting high quality staff• Joined-up thinking• Looking outward & income generation

• Operational successes

• Academic development

• Inter-disciplinary research as a response to understanding & solving complex problems

Participatory leadership models required

• Discovering & working with difference• Creating commonalities• Navigating obstacles to IDR• Building equality across disciplinary cultures

• Laying equal foundations: maintain openness & inclusivity

• Learning each others’ languages & practices: exercising ‘academic humility’

• Subsuming individual egos, generous participation in collective endeavour

• Delineating data & organising outputs• Creating interdisciplinary environments: centres, institutes

• Qualitative research project• Interviews with 67 peer-

nominated successful leaders of academic enterprise

Interview data• Academic Enterprise is about

doing not just thinking• Leaders are driven by

motivation & personal commitment - identity

• Importance of working with others & developing trusting relationships - teamwork

• Direct contact & open networking – enabling meaningful conversations

• Developing a supportive & enabling environment

• Non-authoritarian leadership

• Leadership that is inspiring, supporting, encouraging

• Set an example, set the culture

• Strong vision & values• Autonomy & freedom to

explore all options• Identify financial resources• Use small-scale projects with

clear outcomes• Impact, monitoring &

benchmarking

• Recognition & reward

1. Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre

2. INTO Pathway Provider3. Kaplan Open Learning 4. Northern Ireland Natural Heritage

Research Partnership5. Scottish Institute for Policing

Research6. Training Gateway7. West Yorkshire Lifelong Learning

Network8. Oresund University & Oresund

Science Region

Types of HE collaboration

• Knowledge creation (research) partnerships• Knowledge transfer collaborations – use of research

findings to improve services• Knowledge transfer collaborations – for private

sector development (IP)• Collaboration in teaching & training & degree

awards

• Collaborations for student recruitment (international)

• Collaborations to develop infrastructure & facilities• Community engagement & local regeneration

collaborations

“The styles & skills required of leaders change depending on the stage of collaboration, the types of problems that are being addressed and the individuals who are involved. Leaders may need many skills & styles…so some degree of flexibility is important.”

(Levitt et al. (2011). Higher Education Collaborations: implications for leadership, management & governance. London, LFHE).

Leadership within & across boundaries

Internal

• Hierarchy of seniority• Responsibility &

accountability• Functional roles, clarity

• Financial regulations• HR regulations• Institutional culture &

ways of doing things

External

• Horizontal relationships

• Responsibilities & accountabilities

• Boundary-spanning roles, ambiguity

• Shared finances & risk• Co-located roles• Multiple cultures &

expectations

Leadership ‘in authority’

Leadership ‘beyond authority’

Leadership dimensions: 6 C’s Framework – individuals & groups

Leadership dimensions: 6 C’s Framework – individuals & groups

Credibility

Credibility dimensions

• Using depth & breadth of knowledge, experience & achievements to operate as a major decision-making force

• Gaining attention, support & backing of peers through ability to command respect

• Prominence in peer group through force of personality

• Reputation as a dependable colleague

Capability

Capability dimensions

• Seeing the future• Decision-making• Planning the way ahead• Managing implementation• Optimising team effectiveness• Creating organisational influence

Azure

Character

Character Dimensions

Integrity Role-modelling ethical standards Building Trust

Resilience Courage in adversity Persistency to achieve Flexibility to adapt

DiDistinctiveness Creating positive energy Projecting individuality Catalysing excellence

s

Collaborative Management

Collaborative Management

• Ability to manage the politics of organisational life constructively

• Gauging the organisational mood shrewdly

• Positively using differences in a group as source of advantage

• Ability to manage difficult negotiations

Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity

• Displaying tolerance in relation to different values & beliefs

• Adapting inter-personal style in relation to the expectations of other cultures

• Connecting easily to others from different backgrounds and life-styles

• Taking a lead in promoting the diversity of perspectives arising from cultural differences

Leadership dimensions - organisationalLeadership dimensions - organisational

www.i-lab-he.org

Creating the freedomto lead