Across North America, colleges and universities are navigating new and rapidly evolving landscapes, dealing with a range of issues from shrinking budgets, lowered enrolment, shifting demographics, new workforce demands, to growing calls for equity and accountability. These pressures demand bold, courageous, and inclusive approaches to leadership – and the right people to shake things up.
As an academic leader and faculty member, I find myself asking: Who has the vision and ability to rise to the challenge of transforming higher education?
In a recent University Affairs article, Creso Sá, Vice-Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, emphasizes that “the quality of management is a key determinant of how well universities can fulfill their academic mission,” highlighting the need for a refocusing on academic excellence and institutional sustainability.
According to multiple studies, female leaders embrace a more transformational leadership style that follows a more participative and collaborative approach to solving complex problems. This proven approach brings to life the organization’s mission, often leading to more positive and productive outcomes. Transformational leadership is a style of leadership that works – by leaning into core values and inspiring as well as motivating others to embrace the organizational vision and mission.
About 33% of college and university presidents are women, highlighting a significant gender gap. For perspective, only nine of the top 30 colleges and universities, as ranked by Forbes, currently have women serving as president or chancellor. Despite this gap, or perhaps because of, we are starting to see a shift in the demographic of leadership within the upper echelons of the ivory tower – and it’s happening in real time.
Leaders like Julia Christensen Hughes, PhD, President of Yorkville University, and Lisa Coleman, PhD, President of Adler University, are demonstrating in real time how transformation in academia isn’t about sticking with the status quo—it’s about reimagining the possibilities.
In my interviews with these two trailblazing leaders on the future of academic leadership, a clear and compelling theme emerged: they are recreating the mold to undertake bold, innovative, and challenging endeavours while staying true to their values.
Reimagining What Universities Can Be
Julia Christensen Hughes has never been content to accept “the way it’s always been.” As President of Yorkville University, she has made it her mission to create a new kind of academia that reflects the needs of today’s students and the rapidly changing world. “It’s in my DNA to look at something and ask, ‘How can we make this better?'” she said. This simple yet powerful question drives a leadership approach firmly rooted in accountability and innovation that works.
One of her key priorities is to make education more accessible and relevant. “The traditional four-to-five-year degree is increasingly irrelevant,” she explained. “We need education embedded into people’s lives while they work.” She is doing this by championing more flexible, accessible models of learning that allow students to advance their careers without putting their lives on hold.
Christensen Hughes is passionate about aligning universities’ values with their actions. “Universities often proclaim missions they don’t live by. I aim to align systems and behaviours with those missions,” she said.
Redefining Leadership Through Bold Vision
Lisa Coleman’s journey has been influenced by a determination to challenge traditional systems and create space for diverse voices. As the first female and the first Black president of Adler University, she leads by example, noting, “Leadership isn’t about checking boxes—it’s about understanding the science and art of bringing people together to create something meaningful.” For Coleman, leadership is about action, not just intention: “It’s not just about being in the room—it’s about making sure what happens in that room creates real change.”
Coleman has faced many challenges, including cultural and gender bias. Early in her career, she found herself frequently questioned about her credentials. “I had to frontload my accomplishments—not because I doubted myself, but because I understood the context I was operating in,” she said.
Instead of viewing these experiences as setbacks, she sees them as opportunities to lead differently. “Leadership is about staying grounded and ensuring your boundaries are clear while fostering collaboration,” she explained.
Driving Transformative Change
To achieve transformative change, academic institutions must rethink traditional structures and prioritize collaboration, inclusivity, and adaptability. As global interconnectedness reshapes our world, higher education faces the challenge of needing to rethink its core mission, one that must involve community in it’s most broadest of terms.
While research and knowledge generation remain central to academia, a pivot toward a student-first approach that addresses the social, health, environmental, and interconnected issues shaping our future generations must be central to a redefined core mission.
Christensen Hughes sees these changes as an opportunity to align bold visions with meaningful actions. Her focus on consensus-building has been central to her success, and she explained that “Transformation takes time and trust. You can’t expect people to follow if they don’t believe in the vision.”
Coleman views part of the transformation challenge as building institutions that reflect the values of equity and representation. “It’s not just about having a seat at the table—it’s about ensuring that table represents everyone,” she explained.
Advice For Future Leaders
Coleman’s advice for leaders centres on resilience and mentorship. “Failure isn’t the end—it’s part of the process. The question is how you recover and who helps you rebuild,” she said. She also emphasized the importance of finding mentors who invest in your unique strengths explaining, “Many people mentor to create versions of themselves. Great mentors help you become the best version of yourself.”
For Christensen Hughes, her advice for aspiring academic leaders is to be strategic about the opportunities they take on. “Women often take on too much service work, hindering career advancement. Be selective—choose roles that align with your values and goals,” she said. Above all, she emphasizes authenticity: “Be clear and be kind. People trust leaders who are transparent and compassionate.”
What’s Next
Higher education is at a crossroads, with many students voicing real concerns about the cost of education, lack of program alignment with workforce needs, and are observing a disconnect between the theoretical and practical learning institutions afford.
To effectively address these demands, higher education requires a new brand of leaders—with vision and courage—who can reimagine education to ensure that academic institutions remain relevant and indispensable for the future.
Disclosure: I am an Associate Professor and Program Director at Adler University.