Thoughts on Leadership in Education

  What Nursing Leadership Can Learn from Higher Ed This week in my doctoral program, I dove into some eye-opening articles from The Chronicle of Higher Education about leadership development—and honestly, it hit close to home. One article by Brown and Kolditz (2020) focused on the Doerr Institute at Rice University. They’re doing something really innovative: actually measuring leadership growth in their students with the help of research psychologists. Not just surveys or feel-good feedback, but real data. As someone teaching future nurses and thinking deeply about how we support our students before they even start the program, I found myself wondering, “What if we applied this same level of intentionality to leadership training in nursing education?” Then I read Kevin McClure’s (2025) piece, which called out how little higher ed invests in preparing its own leaders. Faculty are often promoted into leadership roles because they’re great teachers or researchers—not because they...

  What Two Chronicle Articles Taught Me About Leadership in Higher Ed This week I read two articles that really made me think about what leadership should look like in higher education. Both were completely different, but they touched on some important truths about power, influence, and the voices that often get left out. The first article talked about how private equity professionals are starting to make up a big part of university boards at elite schools. At first glance, it might not seem like a big deal—after all, who wouldn’t want someone who understands finance on their board? But as I kept reading, I started to worry. If leadership is mostly coming from people whose background is profit and investment, how do we make sure that the mission of education stays focused on students and communities? I thought about the nursing students I work with and how hard some of them fight just to make it to class. I do not want decisions about their education being made by people who have...

  Blog Post: Leading from Who I Am This week in class, we were asked to reflect on how our identity influences our leadership, especially through the lenses of race, gender, class, religion, and more. Honestly, I paused for a second before writing. As someone who comes from a more traditional, faith-based background and is attending a very progressive institution, I often feel like I am walking a bit of a tightrope. But I also know that staying true to who I am is central to how I lead. I grew up in a family that valued service, humility, and hard work. Those values did not come from a textbook; they were modeled around our dinner table, at church, and in my community. I carry them into my role now as a nursing educator and doctoral student. I do not lead with titles. I lead by showing up consistently, listening closely, and trying to make sure every student, especially the ones who feel like they do not belong, knows that they do. My leadership philosophy is a blend of transfor...

Learning to Lead with Ethics (and a Little Grace) This week in class, we dove into ethical leadership, and I have to say, it hit home in a way I did not expect. I have always known that being a leader is not just about knowing your stuff. It is about how you treat people, how you make decisions, and how consistent you are when things get hard. But reading about ethical principles and how they actually show up in real leadership really helped me see myself more clearly. The three ethical principles that stood out to me most were justice, beneficence, and fidelity. These are fancy words, but basically they mean be fair, do good, and keep your promises. That is how I try to lead. Whether I am helping a first-generation student figure out how to study for their first exam or standing up for a student who has been overlooked, these principles are part of everything I do even when I do not realize it. A quick story. Last semester, a student came to me in tears after a rough clinical day. She...

What We Took Away This Week: Social Justice + Leadership = Real Change This week’s readings honestly hit home in a big way. We focused on socially just leadership and organizational theory, and I feel like everything I read was speaking directly to what we’re trying to do in nursing education right now. One of the biggest takeaways was that leadership is not just about being in charge. It is about being ethical, inclusive, and really intentional about recognizing the systems around us. As educators, especially in nursing, we can’t just teach students how to lead on the floor. We need to help them understand how to lead in systems that aren’t always fair or equal to everyone. One idea that really stuck with me was the concept of “critical consciousness.” Basically, it is the idea that leaders need to be aware of social inequities and not just recognize them but actually work to change them. That’s easier said than done. It means being vulnerable and willing to admit when we’re part of ...

  This week’s discussion really got me thinking about the kind of leader I want to be and how much I’ve grown over the years. I shared that I connect most with transformational and servant leadership, and honestly, hearing from others just reinforced that for me. It’s clear that leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about lifting others up, creating a shared vision, and genuinely caring about the people you work with. One thing that stuck with me from the conversation is how many of us believe that leaders are both born and made. Sure, some people naturally step into those roles with confidence, but so much of leadership is learned through experience, reflection, and support from others. I’ve definitely had my fair share of learning moments (aka mistakes), but those have shaped me more than anything. It was also encouraging to see how many people highlighted the importance of empathy, consistency, and communication in motivating others. I left the discussion feeli...