leadership and culture building
As I reflect upon some of my personal experiences in working through relationships with faculty, I am left thinking about what the role of a leader is in building a culture that nurtures difference and positively encourages an open climate, creating spaces for the diversity of opinions on issues and simultaneously encouraging faculty to participate in constituting a highly productive culture as productive citizens (In such a culture, the productivity of colleagues acts as a catalyst and as an inspiration, not as a threat that provokes pettiness). On one hand, it is immensely encouraging to witness the tremendous potentials that might be created and sustained when you bring a group of smart and engaged scholars around the table, create resources for them, connect them up with exciting opportunities, and give them the room to grow by working with them to address the barriers they face. In such a culture, the individual growth of faculty members is facilitated by the inspiration and exa...