When Leaders Teach | 046 | And Faculty Lead
The intersection of leadership and teaching.
“Colleges lose critical initiative momentum when leaders neglect to behave like teachers and faculty neglect to behave like leaders.” – Dr. Al Solano
Major initiatives require leaders who teach and faculty who lead. When either side retreats into narrow role definitions, progress slows.
(~1 min)
What It Means for Leaders to Behave Like Teachers
Leadership is not simply directional. It is instructional. Too often, leaders assume that once a priority is announced, understanding follows.
It does not.
Teachers:
Break down complex ideas into understandable components.
Repeat key concepts in multiple formats.
Check for understanding.
Anticipate confusion.
Scaffold learning.
Connect ideas to purpose.
Initiatives require the same discipline.
If a president, VP, or dean cannot explain:
Why the initiative matters
How it connects to student outcomes
What success looks like
How each division contributes
Then resistance is not defiance. It is confusion.
Leaders who behave like teachers:
Clarify language.
Create shared mental models.
Offer examples.
Provide feedback loops.
Stay patient when understanding develops unevenly.
Momentum grows when comprehension grows.
What It Means for Faculty to Behave Like Leaders
Faculty leadership is not positional. It is cultural. Faculty in coordinator roles, committee chairs, department leads, and informal influence positions must do more than advocate for autonomy.
They must drive student-centered change.
Leadership behaviors include:
Relentlessly clarifying the “why” behind change.
Translating institutional priorities into discipline-level meaning.
Project managing work, not just discussing it.
Establishing timelines.
Following up on commitments.
Measuring impact.
Challenging narratives that protect comfort over student outcomes.
Faculty leadership is not about compliance. It is about responsibility.
When faculty leaders avoid confronting the small minority actively maintaining the status quo, initiative energy dissipates. Silence becomes endorsement. Momentum requires courage.
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Where Momentum Breaks
Initiative momentum weakens when:
Leaders assume explanation equals understanding.
Faculty assume critique equals leadership.
Meetings replace milestones.
Plans replace project management.
Alignment is assumed rather than built.
Institutions do not lack intelligence. They often lack role flexibility.
Bridging Leadership and Teaching
The strongest institutional cultures blur the line between leadership and teaching. Leaders see themselves as educators of adults. Faculty see themselves as architects of institutional progress.
Both:
Value clarity.
Protect student-centered priorities.
Translate complexity.
Measure progress.
Hold peers accountable.
Model continuous learning.
When leadership and teaching intertwine, initiatives do not depend on charisma. They depend on structure and shared ownership.
Practical Moves to Strengthen the Bridge
If you are a leader:
Dedicate time to explaining, not just announcing.
Ask faculty and staff to articulate the initiative back to you.
Provide examples of implementation in action.
Reinforce language consistently across meetings.
If you are faculty in a leadership role:
Frame discussions around student impact.
Set clear deliverables and timelines.
Follow up on commitments.
Address resistance directly but professionally.
Model the change you expect.
If you are both:
Treat major initiative work like curriculum design.
Scaffold it. Assess it. Revise it.
The Bigger Picture
Higher education is built on teaching. But institutional change is rarely approached pedagogically.
And faculty leadership is often treated as optional rather than essential.
Colleges lose initiative momentum when leaders stop teaching and faculty stop leading. Student outcomes improve when both roles stretch.
Clarity and courage are not personality traits. They are professional responsibilities.
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Onward…
Dr. Al Solano
Founder, Continuous Learning Institute | About
Host, Student Success Podcast
A meaningful test of success is how helpful we are in contributing to our fellow human being’s happiness.