Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: A Collaborative Syllabus for Higher Education Leadership book cover with bright geometric shapes in background

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doi.org/10.36284/celelon.oa11

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This chapter introduces the idea of “non-authoritative leadership”– leadership that involves the responsibility for institutional-level activity, but without the direct authority to make changes. In this case, Blankenship describes how he drew on ideas rooted in Aristotelian rhetoric and feminist theory to engage faculty in the process of assessing learning in their programs, something that those same colleagues had long tired of under previous leaders. Blankenship describes implementing core tenets of Aristotle’s ideas of logos, pathos, and ethos enables him to lead from the center rather than above to affect institutional engagement. 

Discussion Questions

Blankenship invokes the idea of “responsibility without authority” in this chapter. He then cites this position as one that made it more possible for him to engage in leadership activity. What is your perception or experience of leadership? From what position(s) do you feel you’ve been most effective, and what enabled that activity?