Reinvent Leadership At Universities: Devoted Students Hold The Future

Forbes

20-05-2025

Graduation students who are committed to learning, leading, and building what comes next.
Here we are, another graduation season. Once again, the national spotlight focuses on disruption, protests, and political controversy, overshadowing what truly matters: the devoted students who are quietly advancing their futures and embodying the mission of the universities they attend.
Today's effective leader is being forced to reinvent on the move. That reality presents a defining moment. It's time for university leadership to step back, recalibrate, and return their attention to the very people they are meant to serve, the students who are committed to learning, leading, and building what comes next.
When I worked in the political space, distraction was a daily battle. We faced headlines and noise intended to pull our focus from the work and results we were generating. To win, we had to reclaim the narrative every day and keep it focused on serving the people who elected us.
The same principle applies to America's universities. Leadership must now show a commitment to their students by refusing to let protestors, fears of lost government funding, and pundits dominate the story.
There are three ways administrators can do this.
University leaders must ask themselves: Are we reacting to noise, or are we creating momentum for the future? The cost of remaining reactive is high, not just in terms of reputation, but in missed opportunities to lead with authority and purpose.
This is not about putting all their energy into responding to protestors. It's about amplifying the mission-aligned students whose presence proves that your institution works.
The unsung heroes of your university are disciplined, innovative, and driven. They are not a PR strategy. They are the product of your core values in motion.
Give them the mic.
Host the conversations you want to be hosting. Make room for optimism grounded in data, direction, and demonstrated outcomes.
If you are an administrator, align your energy with the future. Start by shifting your presence. Invite devoted students into your communication strategy. They are already telling a powerful story, one of persistence, progress, and purpose.
They are your most credible advocates.
Bring attention back to the fact that education changes people and uncovers the deep value of their character and purpose. Your students are proof of that.
They are the living, breathing evidence of your mission fulfilled. The well-being of your university depends on this focus. It is a defining moment for direction.
Model what it means to believe in the future and all that is possible. In doing so, you not only signal strength and vision, but you also invite meaningful engagement from alumni, future students, donors, and faculty.
Revenue streams that reflect investment in people, not just programs, are yet to be fully realized. But they start here.
Let's return to the days when people traveled for miles to hear someone speak in person, not because it was convenient, but because it mattered. Human-to-human experiences create energy, conviction, and clarity.
Students make up most of the audience at sporting events and concerts, not behind screens, but in the seats, showing up in person because shared experience matters. They go in person because the connection moves them.
That same energy can and should exist in your classrooms, auditoriums, and campus centers. Leadership must not forget this.
Host the conversations that matter.
They have ideas. They have values. And they want to help shape a world that works better than the one they've inherited. Give them the authority to do so.
Extend the invitation to speak, lead, and co-create.
This is not about what's going wrong. It never has been. It's about what is working, who is thriving, and what future those students are already starting to build.
The conversation at universities must change. It's time to stop reacting and start leading with intention. Administrators must seize this defining moment for direction—one that prioritizes optimism, elevates student voices, and leans into the reality that students are your most valuable data point.
They are lifelong learners. They are already future-proofing their own paths. They're ready to take meaningful action if you let them.
Model reinvention.
Be deliberate in your presence.
Lead with calm confidence.
Align your voice with the mission, not the noise.
Good news can and must make the front page. Let that news be about the students who reflect your university's best work and brightest future.
That's leadership. That's devotion. That's the opportunity in front of you.