Tips From a Search Guru

Read the final part of the position specification first.

Pay the most attention to the “challenges and opportunities” section, “the future of the institution”—whatever they call the five bulleted items listed (of 30 unmentioned) that need to be done. These are the breadcrumbs that will lead you to what challenges you will face from day one.

Your antennae need to be up so you can decide if these are challenges you like to face and feel capable of taking on. The first four will likely be things such as financial, governance, athletics, health sciences. The fifth may be something unique to the place. When you write your letter of application (after you get nominated), this is your road map. Be sure to use the collective “we” and talk about your accomplishments in the context of your team and what you did together. There is a member of that committee counting the number of times you use “I.”

Choose your nominator well.

These jobs aren’t like others. You can’t just throw your hat in the ring and say, “Pick me!” Think hard and ask someone who knows you well. Many people who know me well have said, “You write the letter of nomination, and I’ll send it under my name directly to Shelly.” That is compelling. There are half a dozen to 10 people out there that if I get a nomination from them, I’d get on a plane, train, or automobile and go to see whoever they were recommending.

The nomination letter is really important: It should brag about what you’ve done (so you don’t have to sound arrogant), but it should also establish that the nominator knows you well and can speak to your talents. The nominator should also offer to talk to a member of the committee, preferably the chair.

Do a self-inventory first.

Where do you want to live; what kind of institution excites you (small college, R-1, religiously affiliated, urban, rural); what kind of place will be a good match for those coming with you? Then watch six to 10 places you would be proud to call home for five or six years. There are no practice runs in search. Only engage with places where you can truly imagine yourself. Don’t waste your time, the consultant’s, or the institution engaging if you would never accept an offer.

The process usually takes six to nine months, although timetables are getting shorter. Most academic searches focus on the body of work and very little on the person. Senior leadership searches are completely the opposite: They have read your résumé and articles/speeches. Now they are trying to get to know you, to uncover what’s not on the résumé. Drop a few hints in your answers: you’re a cyclist, you collect buttons; you’re a genealogist. They cannot ask, so you need to volunteer.

Keep your eyes wide-open.

Know what you are getting into. Big egos are involved in these processes: yours, the institution’s (some places go by one letter—the U!), and the board’s belief that their alma mater is flawless (“nothing that $100M in endowment couldn’t fix”). Do your due diligence and take nothing at face value: finances, culture, geography, laws governing the search process.

I have seen newly hired presidents walk into surprises like a structural deficit, two governing bodies (board versus corporation), lawsuits, senior staff in disarray. The way to find good information is to have a “friend” (a CFO, governance expert, psychiatrist, even) who you can privately share what you have been sent by the institution with and get your own expert’s opinion.

Check the history of how past presidents have been treated.

One of my most successful placements was eager to move to a more complex place. He was offered a job at a place I knew well. When I told him that of the last five presidents, three had been fired, one left shortly after being appointed, and one was “hanging around” siphoning off donor money for his nonprofit, he told me that things would be different under his leadership. He was fired a few years after being hired. Institutions are like your refrigerator: If you open the door and it smells bad, tomorrow will be even worse.

Research the stated desire to change, if change is needed, by meeting privately with the leadership of the board, faculty, senior administration, staff, and student body, and ask the question “What has prevented the U from making these needed changes earlier?” Always meet privately with the outgoing president and perhaps those presidents who directly compete with the U.

No surprises.

Reveal who you are and what you need as soon as possible: I recently worked on a search that was heading toward a great conclusion, until the candidate revealed that his wife had to have tenure immediately after he was named. This was a surprise to everyone, since we had talked multiple times about that happening eventually, but apparently hearts and minds had changed during the final phase of the search. The institution could not do this, and so they moved on to the next candidate. This needed to come up earlier, since some of the legwork could have been done during the search process to try to make this work.

Don’t be afraid to disclose all of your needs/wants: salary, start date, family needs, health concerns, tenure/academic appointment, housing, length of appointment, cultural desires) to the search consultant, who in turn, will pass them to board leadership. Know what to be willing to compromise on and which things are nonnegotiables.

Seek assistance.

You will not do this presidency on your own, and you should not manage the process solo, either. There are coaches, lawyers, experts, mentors who can help you see around the corners of the process and place. Ask around for recommendations. Particularly when it comes to negotiating your contract, never go it alone. In most cases, the institution will pay for these costs, since they are eager to get the deal done and your announcement made.

If you don’t already have a network of contacts who can help you, ask successful sitting presidents: They have an army of coaches, lawyers, and PR experts. Also, while your search consultant technically works for the institution, they too want to get this deal done. You might find them helpful guides on who to contact.

And when all is said and done, take heart. Most candidates try about five times before they land a presidency.