The Peter Principle Lives
At a conference last week for women in leadership, I met a young woman (younger than 30) who works in a campus center for faculty learning and leadership. I'll skip any comments on how much a person under 30 can say about leadership. However, in talking to her, I mentioned how something she was saying was basically The Peter Principle. She had never heard of it.
There are certain concepts that explain everything. One is Venn Diagrams. The other is The Wizard of Oz. Another is Occam's Razor. When it comes to higher education leadership, the fourth is The Peter Principle.
It was all the rage in the '60s and '70s. Here is a more recent take from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roddwagner/2018/04/10/new-evidence-the-peter-principle-is-real-and-what-to-do-about-it/#2243cbb01809
As a department head, I am a leader, and I am always conscious of the fact that the skills that got me there are not necessarily the skills I need in the job. The saying, "Dance with the one who brought you" does not apply to leadership. One book is titled What Got You Here Won't Take You There and that pretty much explains the principle.
In higher education, most start as classroom instructors. If you aspire to higher, look for leadership positions. What makes you a good classroom instructor overlaps with real leadership but not entirely (Venn Diagram again). Recognize that and develop what you need.
There are only two ways in higher education to make a decent living, especially in the humanities. Become an expert and publish popular works (not academic ones, no money there) that speak to a wider audience, or become an administrator.
There are certain concepts that explain everything. One is Venn Diagrams. The other is The Wizard of Oz. Another is Occam's Razor. When it comes to higher education leadership, the fourth is The Peter Principle.
It was all the rage in the '60s and '70s. Here is a more recent take from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roddwagner/2018/04/10/new-evidence-the-peter-principle-is-real-and-what-to-do-about-it/#2243cbb01809
As a department head, I am a leader, and I am always conscious of the fact that the skills that got me there are not necessarily the skills I need in the job. The saying, "Dance with the one who brought you" does not apply to leadership. One book is titled What Got You Here Won't Take You There and that pretty much explains the principle.
In higher education, most start as classroom instructors. If you aspire to higher, look for leadership positions. What makes you a good classroom instructor overlaps with real leadership but not entirely (Venn Diagram again). Recognize that and develop what you need.
There are only two ways in higher education to make a decent living, especially in the humanities. Become an expert and publish popular works (not academic ones, no money there) that speak to a wider audience, or become an administrator.
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