Friday Focus: Real leadership
March 19, 2020
— by Keith Champagne, vice chancellor for student affairs and athletics
Leadership is defined not by the scale of opportunity or the world-changing, defining moments but by the quality of how we choose to respond, Chris Lowney observed in writing about St. Ignatius Loyola.
The COVID-19 virus and the events surrounding its outbreak have created such a moment for all of us in various leadership positions. It is during these moments when many expect the stereotypical top-down, immediate all-transforming leader and leadership. At the University of Alaska Fairbanks, this has not been the attitude and expectation of Dan White, UAF’s chancellor.
In fact, Chancellor White has done just the opposite. He is leading his core team and other senior university leaders in a purposeful, inclusive, participatory, cooperative and collaborative manner. He has seized all available human and other resources at the university to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and to serve all members of the university community -- students, staff, faculty and administrators -- a positive, caring and impactful manner. This kind of leadership springs from within a person not from who he or she is, and it is about who they are as much as what they do and how they do it.
As a member of Chancellor White’s core team, I am extremely thankful for his leadership approach and style, and his ability to empower all of us in leadership positions to play a positive role in serving the university and its students, faculty, staff and administrators. As leaders from the various divisions, colleges, schools, units and departments, we are doing all that we can to navigate and negotiate this COVID-19 crisis in a caring, loving and heroic manner. In essence, we are all leading with greater love than fear. We have become energized because of Chancellor White’s heroic leadership, and we are working together as one with our colleagues in a valued, trusted, respected and supported team. We are bound by loyalty and affection as we collectively strive to move the university and its people forward in a safe and secure manner. We are all doing our very best under trying and difficult circumstances in a genuinely caring manner for the well-being of the entire university.
Moreover, for all of us who are members of this world-class university community, we ask for your continued trust, support and patience as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 crisis at the university.
Peace and blessings to and for all members of the UAF community and their families.
Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week.