Portraits in Leadership Six Extraordinary University Presidents

Subjects:

• Education » Educational Administration & Policy
• Education » Higher Education

Reviews:

• Padilla (business management, North Carolina State U. Raleigh) cites parallels between his integrative approach to leadership in complex organizational contexts and John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage in politics. He overviews scholarly approaches to effective leaders in presenting six case studies of contemporary university presidents: Clark Kerr (U. of California), William Friday (U. of North Carolina), Father Theodore Hesburgh (U. of Notre Dame), Hanna Gray (U. of Chicago), John Slaughter (U. of Maryland), and William Bowen (Princeton U).
  —Reference & Research Book News August 2005
• Leading complex organizations is never easy or simple. In Portraits of Leadership Arthur Padilla, a professor of business management in the College of Management at N.C. State University, examines the American university to draw lessons about running large outfits. His six case studies--including a portrait of the challenges faced and solutions forged by William Friday when he led the University of North Carolina--highlight the importance of persuasion and communication. Padilla also suggests methods for improving the selection of leaders and increasing organizational effectiveness.
  —The News & Observer December 18. 2005

• Endorsement From Clifton R. Wharton, Jr.,
  President Emeritus, Michigan State University
  Former Chancellor, State University of New York System
  Former Chairman and CEO, TIAA-CREF: Professor Padilla has produced a brilliant approach to academic leadership by blending the personalities and early histories of each president with their later thoughts and actions as chief executives of major U.S. colleges and universities....Each case is...a skillfully crafted analysis of how their early background, mentors, and native talents infused their future leadership experiences--both achievements and crises. The mini-biographies display Padilla's gift for distilling the critical insights of a life while presenting their analytical relevance in the unique leadership style of each individual. The superb narratives are both entertaining reading and richly rewarding biograhpy....The book represents a "must-read" for anyone interested in leadership, whether within or without academe.
• Endorsement From The Honorable James E. Holshouser
  former Governor of North Carolina and long-time member of the UNC Board of Governors: ...[A] splendidly written work that examines the complexities of leading and managing the modern university. Both entertaining and insightful, the book provides an excellent and original synthesis of what is known about leadership and followership. Padilla's book...will prove amazingly helpful for university trustees and regents charged with overseeing these national treasures and should be required reading for state policymakers and elected officials as well.
• Endorsement From John Hope Franklin
  distinguished historian and author and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient: Art Padilla has provided a lucid, lively account of how six distinguished university presidents led their institutions through critical, decisive periods. As professor and sometime educational administrator, Padilla has brought to the task a perspective provided by his unique experience. Anyone wishing to know how university leaders successfully face a variety of crisis should read this extraordinary first rate work.
• Endorsement From Michael A. Hitt
  distinguished author and professor at Texas A&M University and past president of the American Academy of Management and editor of the Academy of Management Journal: Art Padilla's treatise on leadership in universities accurately captures the essence of true leadership and the complexity and uniqueness of the organized anarchies called universities. From the six case studies of extraordinary leaders, we learn about the characteristics that made these individuals highly successful. Padilla's compelling perspective clearly shows that successful leaders do not use power and control but rather emphasize human connectedness, skills in persuasion, and the intuitive ability to understand and manage one's context. We also learn how great leaders can be mentored and carefully developed. It is a purposeful book written with clarity and richness and conveys a powerful and important message.
• Endorsement From Robert Hogan
  President, Hogan Assessment Systems
  and noted leadership and personality scholar: This study of university leaders is scholarly, accessible, rigorous, articulate, and, finally, compelling. Its importance derives from the fact that real leadership is sorely lacking in our institutions of higher education. These six case studies provide a rich contribution to our understanding of universities as complex organizations and what it takes to lead them into a brighter future.

Table of Contents:

• Title Page
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• The University as a Complex Organization
• Leadership
• Prologue
• The Berkeley Quaker (Clark Kerr)
• The Catcher from Dallas, North Carolina (William Friday)
• God, Country, Notre Dame, and Father Ted (Theodore Martin Hesburgh)
• Lenny, Lefty, and Chancellor Slaughter (John Brooks Slaughter)
• Bowen's Beautiful Mind (William Gordon Bowen)
• Hanna Holborn Gray: The Second Woman
• Lessons, Conclusions, and Implications
• References