These kinds of workers do not deal well with changing environments and will require considerable support and encouragement. Teamwork requires shared vision, insights, ideas, open discussion, and respect for the values and input of others. Leaders must understand the constraints working against the creation of a synergistic environment and work constantly to articulate the importance of each individual to the work of the institution. People will be motivated to pay the price of change when all parties believe that everyone's contribution is important and that they need each other to achieve mutually desired outcomes. Common goals and interdependence form the foundation of synergistic willingness.
Synergistic environments require leaders who think and act proactively.
Colleges and universities must do more to develop such leaders. Once they are working, they must be nurtured and developed to help them move the modern community college into the next century. Tomorrow's leaders must be forceful and articulate in communicating a vision of education as a lifelong process. These leaders must portray the world of work as one of complexity of choice, recognizing that raw technological power and changes in social and political affairs will create more complex and more sophisticated ethical choices. They must work continuously to build real communities both within and outside the institution.