Leading from the middle requires timing, and a sense of how to influence decisions. It is a valuable skill-set and can help on a number of fronts, from maintaining staff morale during difficult times to seizing on an opportunity – or addressing a problem - that many simply don’t recognize.
I wanted to speak to leaders this week. Who qualifies? All of you!! Regardless of your role or position, anyone can step up to help advance the institution’s priorities. Many may know this style of leadership as “leading from the middle”. Authors like Scott Mautz focused on middle management positions, but honestly, anyone can ultimately influence the decision-making process. Often, leading from the middle is most needed when the institution’s leadership team is distracted but it is also needed to enable new ideas that help the institution better serve its students. It can and does take a village to keep an institution focused and functioning.
As one who has made a career of leading from the middle, I see it akin to bumper cars. I could simply go to the top regarding an issue or idea, but I likely don’t have the credibility to effect change with a cold call to senior leadership. It is far better to motivate and influence leadership you have a strong daily relationship with – and then hope you can inspire a chain reaction that takes it to the top.
Our campuses today feel destabilized. We are still recovering from the pandemic. We have been dealing with enrollment issues but now it seems we are turning a corner and seeing enrollment increases. The advent of AI is creating a real kerfuffle especially within the faculty ranks. Federal $$ are disappearing – and many states are reducing funding which results in staff and budget cutbacks. AND, there are those who are suggesting that a recession may be coming. It can be tense and uncomfortable. But each of us has the ability to help reduce the fear and stress, and to foster creative ideas to move the organization forward during difficult times REGARDLESS of where we reside in the staffing chart.
Consider seeing what you can do to help.
Fred Lokken,
Professor, Political Science
Business & Social Sciences Division
Truckee Meadows Community College
Member, Board of Directors, Instructional Technology Council
Executive Commissioner, Nevada WICHE/Regional WICHE
Recipient, 2025 ITC Lifetime Achievement Award
Articles
The AI Tsunami Is Here: Reinventing Education In The Age Of AI, Educause
In the age of artificial intelligence, higher education must move beyond content delivery toward interactionalism—a human-centered approach to learning that fosters collaboration, creativity, adaptability, feedback, and well-being.
The Difficult Human Work Behind Responsible AI Use In College Operations, Education Dive
Officials should carefully consider if an AI tool can actually address a problem — and then perform audits and error checks after it’s rolled out, experts said.
A Final Project That Can Bring Joy And Meaning, Inside Higher Ed
With the rise of AI-enabled cheating, a creative assignment can be a powerful alternative to the traditional term paper.
An AI Plateau?, Educause
Large language models (LLMs) may be nearing their limits, challenging assumptions about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence.
Majority of California Community College Students Lack Basic Needs, Inside Higher Ed
New survey data points to a prevalence of basic needs insecurity among two-year students in California, particularly around housing.
How Nvidia Is Making It Easier To Bring Robots To Campus, EdTech Magazine
NVIDIA is providing tech stacks, software frameworks and teaching kits for universities and colleges to research innovation in physical AI.
Video Of The Week: 95% Of People Still Prompt ChatGPT- 5 Wrong
If your ChatGPT-5 results seem worse, it's not just you. #OpenAI fundamentally changed GPT-5’s architecture, which is why old prompting techniques are now less effective.
