President Harris’ Perspective

A few years ago, I was a guest on The CEO Podcast, hosted by one of our alums, Vince Moiso '95, to talk about what it takes to be a successful leader. One of the stories I shared with Moiso and his co-host, Scott De Long, PhD, was about a training program I attended many years ago for new university presidents at Harvard University.

During the training, I had the opportunity to sit down with other university presidents and the famed sociologist, David Riesman. At that time Reisman was studying leadership in higher education and the characteristics of successful presidents. At lunch, one of the university presidents asked Riesman, “What can I do to guarantee that I’ll be a successful president?” Without hesitation, Riesman said, “Be the living embodiment of the mission.”

That advice has always stuck with me and while I often fail to meet that high standard, the philosophy of trying to “embody” or live out the mission seems like a wise way to lead.

Being a leader comes with many rewards but also a myriad of challenges. And, when times become turbulent or there are significant changes happening outside of your control, it's more important than ever to understand the mission of the institution you serve as well as who you are as a leader.

During your time at USD, you will have the opportunity to lead– whether it’s running a club on campus, taking a new senior leadership position at work or serving in our local community. As you take on these new opportunities to lead, I hope you take the time to develop your own leadership philosophy as well as your own personal mission statement. Here are some tips for you to consider as you continue your leadership journey.

Before applying for your next job or taking a leadership position in an organization, look at the mission of that organization or job – and ask yourself, “Do their values align with mine?” And, if not, it might be best to continue searching for an organization or club that fits better with your values, what you’re passionate about and gives you the best chance to have the type of impact you are hoping to have on the organization and the world. After all, it will be hard to lead a team, if you’re working for a place that you don’t believe in.

The theologian Howard Thurman once wrote, “There should be no difference between the man and leader.” To Thurman, you could not separate how a person behaves in their personal life and in their life as a leader. Based on what I have observed over the years, it appears that some people can separate their private behaviors from their professional responsibilities. I have never been able to separate the two and truly think it is disingenuous for someone to act one way with one group of people and another way with others. I attempt to make sure there is no difference between how I react to situations in my personal life vs my professional life. My values remain the same regardless of the situation. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I always live up to my own standards, but I think it is something we should all strive to do.

When I began my career, I used to compare myself to other leaders. What I often found was that I didn’t have the expansive experience of one leader or the carefree style of another and thought of myself as lacking. While there is real value in studying leaders you admire, it is also important to reflect on your own God-given gifts and to work on being a better you. One of my favorite musicians, Miles Davis, was once asked about how he developed his unique style of jazz. He answered by saying “sometimes it takes a long time to sound like yourself.” I realized that it takes time to grow into yourself as a leader. You’ll make mistakes along the way – I sure did-- but if you are patient and ask God for the gift of wisdom, the collection of your personal experiences will help you to become the leader you were meant to be.