At the recent March meeting of the United Negro College Fund, I finally allowed myself to feel the crisis of leadership for HBCUs. I have tracked new presidents for over a decade ― when they were appointed, previous position, and age ― and clearly noticed the high turnover rate. In fact, 38 of the 78 four year HBCUs have appointed a new president since January of 2011, and, in that short time, nine of those 38 are no longer in office.
So as I read my UNCF briefing book, I noticed the number of names that had either interim or acting next to them ― eight in all. That’s 22 percent of the UNCF. Another eight of the presidents have been in office three years or less.
The shock for me was to see my seniority ranking ― 12th (as a 46 year old). And with the recent announcement that Dr. Larry L. Earvin, the highly successful 14-year president of Huston-Tillotson University, will step down next year, an era of high instability will be intensified with an era of transition due to retirements.
As I often lament to my wife about the state of affairs, she always quips, “What are you going to do about it?” Is she crazy? I mean, I think I am doing okay, but I am actively working and learning how to be an even better president.
But the reality is 10 years is a long time. Certainly there must be something I can do to assist those who desire to lead one of these institutions. More importantly, now, more than ever, we need strong, innovative and effective leadership as the HBCU animus grows and forces look to erase these institutions.
Even if I doubt I have something to offer, others don’t. I get a steady stream of requests from people asking me to mentor them. I decline because I think mentoring is a relationship that develops organically, and for it to be effective you have to spend time together. I’m always willing to answer a question here or there, but I can’t effectively mentor many people.
But there are a few things I can do. One is to share this thought: Becoming a president isn’t necessarily about amassing the right skills or experiences. It is about developing the right habits. What then are the habits that I think are important?
