Leadership Style of Cabinet Members

The cabinet will engage a definite leadership style that includes a set of expectations for us as individuals and for our work together. These expectations guide the work of cabinet members all the time  – as we work alone, with others on and off campus, or as a group.

The leadership style of the cabinet is based on relationships, both to each other and to the university. The basis of these relationships is one of support  – support for each other and for the university.

Although the entirety of this style encompasses more than a simple list of behaviors, the following core expectations and responsibilities guide us in our work.

• We repeatedly affirm among ourselves that diversity of thought, dissent, and alternative ideas are valued and encouraged.
• We approach each other as equal-status peers; in that each member is expected to share his or her thoughts openly without deferring to perceived authority.
• All members have agreed to effectively work together to maintain positive individual and group relationships during and between meetings.
• We try very hard to be sensitive to the challenges each one faces, and to examine issues from this reciprocal understanding.
• Members are expected to participate in deliberations about all topics, which means that every topic of consideration is owned by all of us.
• We expect our conversations to be forthright and with full disclosure, but also with understanding and respect for each other.
• All of us take responsibility for distinguishing when ideas, opinions or conclusions should be shared only within the cabinet; these instances usually concern issues of personal confidence or when deliberations are preliminary.
• We all take the responsibility to identify important issues that would benefit from the attention of the cabinet.
• As a group, we seek to consider issues in a manner that efficiently facilitates the most productive outcomes.
• We recognize there are times when our individual opinion does not prevail, and compromises are made for the benefit of the university or particular programs.
• We agree, as cabinet members, to help facilitate the implementation of decisions in a manner consistent with these core expectations and responsibilities.