When I was a sophomore in high school, my civics teacher had us watch The Candidate, a 1972 movie starring Robert Redford. The film follows an idealistic young candidate, Bill McKay, who unexpectedly wins a Senate race. In the climactic moment, amid cheers and falling balloons, McKay turns to his consultant and asks, “What do we do now?” I had that same feeling in 2009, after being named president of a university in Oregon. Every newly minted leader experiences it — the weight of expectation settling in.
The transition into a college presidency is not just a personal milestone; it is a carefully scrutinized period that can set the tone for years to come. A successful transition builds confidence, while a rocky one creates roadblocks that may be difficult to overcome. As a former university president and now a leadership adviser for academe, I have been through my share of executive transitions. And I’ve read plenty of transition advice for institutions. Here, I’m aiming to help new leaders execute this vital, sensitive period.
Your presidential transition will unfold in three phases:
- The president-elect stage runs from the announcement of your appointment until you take office.
- Then comes the first 90 days, which is the immersion and learning period of your presidency.
- Finally is what I call the “Go! Phase” — the point at which you shift from learning to leading.
Each phase requires distinct strategies to help you avoid common pitfalls, build trust, and establish credibility. We live in an era when higher education is under tremendous stress, but as my colleague Melody Rose noted in “Why You Should Still Want to Be a College President,” the challenges of the role haven’t erased its many joys. Your presidential transition can determine how well you will handle the difficulties and enjoy the satisfactions.
The President-Elect Phase: Preparation and Positioning
From the moment of the announcement, a new president must manage first impressions. That includes a well-orchestrated press conference that sets the right tone — acknowledging your past but quickly pivoting to your new role with confidence and clarity. The way you handle this period will shape campus perceptions of you. It’s best to avoid making ambitious promises or offering prepackaged solutions until you know a lot more about the place. Here’s what should be on your agenda as president-elect:
- Gather key institutional reports: strategic plans, financial and enrollment data, accreditation reports, market research, and SWOT analyses (the institution’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats).
- Visit the campus. Meet with key stakeholders, including professors, staff members, students, donors, and community leaders to establish early rapport.
- Begin laying the foundation for your relationships with direct reports, key administrators, and trustees.
- Shape a communications strategy that ensures clarity and transparency across all key constituencies, both internal and external.
- Assess early reputational challenges and potential crises that may require your immediate attention upon taking office.
- Gain a firm grasp of the institution’s unique culture, traditions, and expectations to avoid early missteps.
If that sounds like a lot to manage, you don’t have to do it all by yourself. In fact, including others in this process offers immediate and lasting benefits. You can secure some help formally or informally.
For example, on the formal side, it’s handy to have a transition advisory council, made up of key players from the college and the region. Ideally the governing board will have created such a council by the time your appointment is revealed. But if one is not in place, you can create it with the aid of the board chair, the head of the presidential-search committee, and the departing president.
Speaking of your predecessor, he or she can become a trusted partner in the transition and beyond (depending on the circumstances of their departure). An exiting leader has invaluable insights and experiences, and can share perceptions from the president’s chair that other insiders may not fully understand.
Another good source of guidance is former presidents from other institutions. Enlisting one as a senior adviser (or what Chip Conley refers to as a “modern elder”) can offer a new leader critical insights into the transition and provide a longer-term view of the position. Many new presidents underestimate the learning curve and the sheer volume of information they must process quickly. A senior adviser from outside the institution can be a trusted confidant who listens objectively and shares applicable advice and knowledge based on lived experiences.
During this phase — which usually lasts between three and six months — a president-elect is very likely to be serving two institutions. Both sets of obligations must be managed, as you balance extricating yourself from one institution and avoiding the common traps of transitioning into your new role. By the time you officially start the job, you should have a concrete plan for your first 30 days in office and a broad road map for the first 90.
Also, before Day 1? Take a vacation (two weeks or more). A well-rested leader is better equipped for the nonstop demands ahead.
The First 90 Days: Immersion and Connection
This phase is about learning the culture of your new campus and building relationships. As a new president, you must be visible — attending events, interacting with faculty and staff members and students, and absorbing the institution’s traditions and dynamics. These early days will shape the level of trust and buy-in you receive from the campus community. To make the most of them, you should:
- Avoid talking about your previous institution(s) — people want their new leader to focus on their campus.
- Spend a lot of time listening and asking questions. Develop a systematic approach for listening tours, ensuring that you hear voices from all corners of the institution.
- Identify and execute a few “quick wins” — high-impact, easily implemented changes to demonstrate momentum and responsiveness.
- Work closely with the board and senior leadership to clarify expectations and decision-making processes.
- Strengthen your relationships with the college’s external partners, including state and local officials, business leaders, and alumni networks.
- Assess internal power dynamics and identify key influencers within the campus community.
- Develop a solid working relationship with the trustees. Fully understand their expectations: How do they want you to communicate major developments to them? Which types of decisions does the board reserve for itself and which for the president? What specific results does the board expect, and by what timelines?
One of the biggest pitfalls of this phase is prematurely proposing solutions to longstanding challenges. New presidents often feel pressure to act quickly, but resisting that impulse can prevent missteps that damage trust and credibility. By the end of this period, you should have a structured approach to decision-making in place — one that includes a method for evaluating and prioritizing plans and a practice of involving faculty members in meaningful ways early on.
The Go! Phase: From Learning to Leading
After 90 days, a new president must shift from observation to action — articulating a clear direction, making key leadership decisions, and starting to shape policy. It’s crucial here to balance urgency with thoughtful deliberation. Among your top priorities:
- Make key personnel decisions: Who will remain in the president’s cabinet and who needs to be replaced to build a strong leadership team? Those decisions are crucial — in fact, they are, arguably, the most important the president will make. Be intentional and deliberate as you identify each member’s strengths and weaknesses in leading their respective areas and in what they bring to the total effort of the team and the campus. Be open, listen, ask probing questions, and observe how they make decisions, interact, and support their peers. Above all, trust your instincts. A good mantra to guide these decisions: “Fire fast; hire slow.” That approach minimizes the impact of a bad fit and prioritizes being selective about who will bring value to your team.
- Prioritize major institutional challenges such as budgeting and enrollment strategies, as well as long-term projects that will define your presidency.
- Build a productive, collaborative relationship with faculty-governance leaders. It is amazing what you can learn and gain by walking around the campus and chatting with faculty members in their offices and in hallways. Lead by asking questions and seeking suggestions, and resist the temptation to offer predetermined solutions.
- Strengthen campus culture. Dig into the history of the institution — know its traditions, stories, and fabled leaders. Understand the symbolism of major activities and events. Use your team to prioritize and ensure your active attendance at these critical events.
- Leverage media and public-relations strategies to enhance the institution’s reputation and visibility. This is a time in which it is easier to engage journalists on nonconfrontational matters. Use every opportunity when people are eager to learn about you to shift the focus to the university, its promise, and future. You can offer a fresh approach and a sense of enthusiasm.
- Continue to communicate and refine (based on informal feedback) a strategic vision that aligns with campus priorities and expectations. With each conversation you have — by focusing on what you are learning, hearing, and seeing — you will be able to craft an inspiring message for people to rally around.
One of my personal mentors in my first presidency was the late Steven B. Sample, former president of the University of Southern California. As he told me and wrote in his book, The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, presidents should make only two types of decisions: (1) hiring and firing members of the president’s cabinet and (2) having the final say on far-reaching changes with the greatest potential impact on the campus. The first set of decisions, he said, was the most important because people in cabinet positions make most of the regular decisions affecting the institution.
Here are a few other dos and don’ts, handed down to me over the years, to help you start your presidency:
- When the football team wins, it’s because of the players. When they lose, it’s the coach’s fault. You are the institution’s coach.
- Don’t let all the positive press releases go to your head — remember, your team wrote them.
- Don’t dwell on what you did at your former institution or position. Keep your focus on what’s next for where you are at.
- Do remember it’s about the campus, not about you. The payoff is that what’s good for the campus is usually good for your professional reputation, too.
- Do make time for personal reflection — staying grounded is essential for long-term effectiveness.
- Do take the office seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously.
In that spirit, I leave you with this closing thought from a dear mentor of mine: “One day, something will go terribly wrong, and when it does, remember: You wanted this job.”
