SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE: Cases from Higher Education

This chapter explores leadership and communication within a higher education ecosystem, with a focus on issues related to distributed leadership, social construction, and the dynamics of change. This context creates a space to explore: (1) the interplay of norms, expectations, and traditions associated with shared governance; (2) various approaches to change leadership to influence organizational direction or advance a particular agenda; and (3) broader organizational and environmental pressures that influence institutional practices and strategies. In addition to introducing key concepts, assumptions, and paradoxes at the intersection of these themes, the authors present vignettes as case studies, discussion questions, and strategies for cultivating collective leadership in response to the persistent call for change within our institutions. The authors hope that the theory-informed themes introduced in this chapter may help readers as they engage in the study and practice of leadership communication across different types of organizations in addition to higher education.