Both the university president and unit and program heads recognize that the dean or director's job is to provide both intellectual leadership on the priorities most important and most achievable and management leadership in focusing resources on those priorities. External clientele have been kept well acquainted with programs, priorities and productivity of your organization and, specifically, of their favorite unit or program. Such statements may be impressive, but they don't help much when budget choices must be faced. I've also seen cases where the university president implies the dean or director's main job is to protect that office or the regents from political pressure and where unit or program heads suggest their main job is to protect or increase their current budget. However, there is a job to be done.
Budget constraints are reality.
Issues are to be faced, decisions made, results communicated, and clientele served. The sooner the job is done, the better the result, especially in the case of a current fiscal year problem. A Strategy in 10 Steps A leadership strategy is needed, and that strategy needs to be thought through, in terms of specific steps and their consequences. I suggest a 10-step strategy, and I cite the human traits that make such steps logical and productive. Establish within yourself and convey to key colleagues a positive, constructive attitude, an attitude that you all have a job to do and that you have confidence in your collective ability to do it.