Week 1 - Nancy & Leadership

Hello Everyone!!!

This is Nancy Conwell. I have been at GMU for just over one year as the Director of Facilities Planning & Special Projects for the College of Science. The College is just over three years old so there are numerous "leadership opportunities" and "missed opportunities." So, my job is to help "lead" the College of Science through its space master plan, i.e. 10 year strategic/marketing plan. I am a newbie to the MAIS in Higher Education Program - and am really excited to participate in this program.

I have had numerous leadership opportunities throughout my life but I am most proud of two experiences - as a coxswain for a women's four crew team and as a "team leader" for an international marketing team. As I read through some of the reading assignments - I reflected on the two experiences to figure out what made me experience leadership. In both experiences, I knew the job inside and out - I knew how to row, for one thing. Frankly, I think I was a good coxswain because I had also been a member of a mixed-eight rowing team. Having listened to other coxswains - I knew what to say and what not to say to a group of women rowing their hearts and lungs out. I had felt the pain from rowing in a race. I knew the commands and how to read the boat - when they were starting to get tired, frustrated with the pace and so on. I suppose, most importantly - I knew how to steer the boat with little to know damage.

As a marketing "team leader," it was the same - I knew the job (been there, done that). But I also knew that I had limitations; however I am most proud of the fact that I hired team members that lacked the skills, experience or contacts that I had. This produced a very balanced team that worked well together. We were a very successful marketing team - the most productive. We also had the most fun. One thing that I had to do a lot of was "fight" with upper management for tools to do our job, and so forth. I think that meant a lot to the team members. Frankly, I knew if the shoe were on the other foot - I would expect the same from my team leader.

Taking this class will help me understand leadership and I hope, teach me to look at things I can do to be a "leader" in the realm of higher education. It will also force me to really think through some of the issues I face at work. I have a great deal of respect for the Deans and faculty staff I work with and for. I hope that I can help them be better leaders. Fortunately, many of the deans know I am taking this course - so I know they will ask me what I am learning. I hopefully can influence some change if and when necessary when it comes to some of the "leadership" issues/concerns we face day to day.