The HEUG Alliance 2016 conference kicked off with a keynote session by bestselling author and leadership thought leader Charlene Li. Charlene Li is working at the Altimeter Group, Altimeter publishes independent research on disruptive technology trends. They provide strategy consulting based on research to give business leaders the insight and confidence to thrive in the face of change.
Li opened the session by challenging the audience to think about one person in their lives who has been a leader who inspired them.
“How did that person make you feel? Think of a single word to describe them,” Charlene Li said.
Throughout her keynote, Li highlighted the relationship between a leader and the people who are inspired to follow that individual. Li directed the keynote to higher education users, acknowledging that one of the main challenges leaders in the higher education industry is the goal to serve multiple stakeholders. All stakeholders, such as alumni, staff and students have different needs and different relationships to manage, and through it all, technology is playing a role.
According to Li, today’s digital world requires new ways of interacting with and leading others.
Charlene Li outlined three ways to become an effective leader. The first way to become an effective leader in the digital age is by listening to scale.
“Listening is the foundation of leadership. Without listening, you can’t lead your followers to the goal that you are trying to reach,” Charlene Li said. Li stated during the keynote that digital channels allow leaders to listen like never before, interacting closely with followers and listening to their needs in real time.
The second way to become an effective leader is by sharing. According to Li, sharing stories creates personal relationships with followers and shapes interactions.
The third way to become an effective leader in today’s day and age is by engaging. However, engagement with followers must be strategic with an aim to reach a certain milestone or goal.
“Engagement has to be driven by a purpose or strategic goal of the type of relationship you want to form,” Li said.
Engaging creates an organizational culture that allows followers to build a level of trust with the organization/leaders and inspires others to believe in the cause. Li challenged institutions to step out of their comfort zones and become transformational leaders through listening, sharing and engaging. Li acknowledged that while there are tools that institutions can use to listen, share and engage, there are no requirements. Each school can choose the tools that work best for them to build a community and strengthen the relationship between leaders and the followers who are looking to them.
Li concluded by reinforcing that individuals can be leaders regardless of job title or position as well as challenging the audience to aspire to become the leader who inspired them in the past.
