The Gift of Transformative Leaders

Great organizations flourish at the hands of transformative leaders. Most organizations remain competitive but are unlikely to advance without impetus. Only exceptional leaders in an organization can fulfill an ambition for real institutional advancement. In this Element, Nathan Hatch, a former university president and provost at two top-30 national universities, draws on their more than forty-year career in higher education to showcase leaders the author recruited and empowered to advance and transform institutions. At each institution, the author witnessed pockets of mediocrity transform into national examples of excellence. Finding the right leader to spearhead the work was the key to growth and success nearly every time. Through the stories of thirteen transformative leaders, Hatch illuminates how the author approached identifying talent and empowered leaders to lead in bold and creative ways.