218 Strategic Leadership
In the sections that follow, we provide analyses that illustrate the way that
several critical contexts, activities, and relationships can become resources for
the implementation of strategic leadership. There are countless opportunities on
each campus besides these, but they are significant ones that often appear in the
literature on the execution of strategy (Alfred et al. 2006; Bryson 1995; Keller
1997; Rowley, Lujan, and Dolence 1997; Sevier 2000). We shall focus on:
- Communication about strategy
- Strategy and organizational culture: Norms, stories, rituals, and ceremonies
- Authority: Leadership, management, and control systems
- Strategy and accreditation
- Strategic assessment
- Strategic program reviews
- The governing board and the implementation of strategy
- Strategic integration and momentum
COMMUNICATION ABOUT STRATEGY
Most theories of leadership give a central place to the importance of communi-
cation in order to engage and motivate constituents. Ultimately, strategic leader-
ship becomes influential in the intentions and actions of individuals and groups
through effective communication. Narrative leadership is successful because it
reaches people at the level of their personal and cultural identities and thus is
tied to their values and actions. Communication is the critical link in forging
these connections.
Goals for Communication in Strategic Leadership
As we consider the role of communication, several familiar themes will reap-
pear. It will become apparent that to serve a process of strategic leadership, com-
munication must meet a series of tests. Both during and at the conclusion of a
strategy process, communication will show itself to be characterized by:
- Reciprocity: Most of the values and strategies developed in the process come
from the campus community itself and are given back to it, perhaps in new forms,
in the final vision and goals of the plan. - Participation: There are ample opportunities for people to be heard and for
genuine give-and-take in the development of the strategy. - Urgency: Effective communication gains attention, shows that strategy matters,
and summons effort and commitment to succeed in the face of obstacles. - Learning: In an effective strategy process, everyone learns about the institu-
tion and how it really works, as well as about the challenges it faces in the
environment.