University leaders are expected to be able to respond to considerable changes in the socio-economic environment, as seen in the past through economic crises and during the COVID pandemic. Are you agile in strategic decision-making and entrepreneurial in carrying out your strategy?
An entrepreneurial leader recognises an opportunity and makes it happen by sharing their vision, engaging and securing the support of others to discover and exploit strategic value creation. Excellent communication skills mean sharing visionary scenarios leads to mobilisation of resources to make them happen, not only with internal staff but also drawing in partners, regionally or nationally.
This visionary, creative and flexible leader – highly tolerant of both risks and ambiguity and with a great deal of autonomy – is often seen in studies of universities in very large cities. The discussion appears to assume there will be the same types of opportunties and the same level of internal resources wherever the university is located – and the same level of regional and national support to make them happen. A growing body of research on the entrepreneurial context and the impacts of location suggest otherwise.
Outside of large cities, universities may not be in the ‘cool places’ where ‘hot industries’ thrive (as seen in studies during the growth of Silicon Valley, for instance). Underpopulated rural areas or places with severe resource constraints, including poor transport links and low or unreliable broadband access, offer a different context.
