Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/54913
lifelong learning," and "A mini- malist organizational approach." He believes such elements represent clear, broad guidelines, which he considers essential. As he says, "Simplicity is absolutely critical." In addition to leading trans- formational initiatives, the CEO/ dean must carry out day-to-day leadership tasks, such as optimizing school performance, securing sup- port from the board and faculty, and leading the school's strategic agenda. But deans can't be success- ful even at these basic responsibili- ties unless they have outstanding records for delivering results, board were just not ready to take on a similar challenge so soon. Like dozens of CEOs, many deans must face the reality that at times it is best for both leader and institution to part ways. It All Comes Down to Leadership As they play their many parts, deans face a host of leadership challenges. In an article in the The Journal of Higher Education, V.J. Rosser, L.K. Johnsrud, and R.H. Heck gather some of the colorful metaphors applied to deans. They are "variously described as 'doves of peace' intervening among war- Author Jim Collins, writing in Few deans have become level five leaders, who possess what author Jim Collins describes as "a paradoxical combination of personal humility plus professional will." which give them credibility when they want to raise bolder initia- tives. Indeed, performance is both a prerequisite and a crucial source of power for deans. Even deans with excellent repu- tations and strong credibility do not always succeed at implement- ing new initiatives. For instance, when Gabriel Hawawini was dean at INSEAD, his accomplishments and leadership style were largely praised by most constituencies. Yet his remarkable track record was not enough for him to win majority faculty support for opening a third campus in North America, which he had set as a pre-condition to staying on as dean. He recognized that he had underestimated some internal influences, such as the strain created by the opening of the Singapore campus. INSEAD's faculty and ring factions, 'dragons' holding internal and external threats at bay, and 'diplomats' guiding and encouraging people who live and work in the college." More pragmatically, in the book The Business School and the Bot- tom Line, Ken Starkey and Nick Tiratsoo portray the increasing complexity of the role of the busi- ness school dean over time: "Forty years ago, running a business school was something that a senior professor might well take as a mat- ter of duty shortly before retire- ment. Nowadays deans almost constitute a profession in their own right, a cohort with unique and specialist skills … Deans may be likened to sports coaches, hired to improve performance, fired at will, but with one eye always on build- ing their own careers." the Harvard Business Review, out- lines five levels of leadership and what defines them. Most deans we know have successfully reached level four leadership: They're effec- tive and they provide direction to their teams. But few have become level five leaders, who possess what Collins describes as "a paradoxical combination of personal humility plus professional will." These are the great leaders who leave behind lasting legacies. We believe one reason few deans become level five leaders is that they have relatively short tenures and life cycles of limited influence. Those with longer tenures—such as George Bain, who spent eight years at the helm of LBS— demonstrate that deans can become the very best of leaders. They can provide both stable leadership and strategic direc- tion as they fulfill the many roles required of deans serving at today's international business schools. Howard Thomas is LKCSB Chair of Strategic Management and dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University. He was previously dean at Warwick Business School in the U.K. Fernando Fragueiro is professor of general man- agement and director of ENOVA Think- ing, Centre for Leadership in Emerging Markets, at IAE Business School of Universidad Austral, Argentina. He was dean at IAE Business School between 1995 and 2007. Their book, Strategic Leadership in Business Schools: Keep- ing One Step Ahead, will be published by Cambridge University Press in 2011. BizEd May/June 2011 59