The Academic Leadership Triangle:
The Academic Integral Leadership Model we propose is the result of our ongoing interdisciplinary research. For any scholar with an ambition to rise to the challenge of leading others, or who already acts as a leader, it is crucial to appreciate the importance of this model and its seven principles.
The model Academic Integral Leadership Model is founded on the Leadership Triangle:
Within each of the vertices of the Leadership Triangle and between them polarities occur. They usually lead to conflict and burnout, but adequately managed, they can become sources of creative energy.
When the stage of academic leadership – the university – is considered, it is about finding a creative balance between fellowship, i.e. building and developing an academic community, and strategy, i.e. building a long-term perspective of action.
At the level of the purpose – the good of academia – it is about balancing ethos, i.e. the mission of the university, and trust-building.
Finally, at the level the leader, it is about finding a combination of (self-)awareness, creativity and agency.
The seven principles of Integral Academic Leadership include:
In order to act according to these principles, the leader needs to creatively manage polarities within and between all the vertices of the Leadership Triangle.
Specific manifestations of these polarities include, for example:
