Academic deans oversee their institutions’ academic and faculty staff at the departmental level. Other than that, an academic dean also handles a number of other administrative tasks, such as setting academic policies, approving faculty hiring, and overseeing the budget. This is a highly prestigious position that one can only achieve after proving their mettle for many years or even decades. An exceptional academic dean would have a number of qualities and personality traits that makes them invaluable for their institution – and in this blog, we will discuss some of those qualities.

Traits and Qualities that Make a Great Academic Dean:

1)   Leadership:

An academic dean is not unlike the captain of a ship. Academic deans must be excellent leaders, capable of identifying their teams’ strengths and using those strengths to achieve common goals. Exceptional deans encourage their teams to grow and develop, and are not scared to empower and delegate. They understand the importance of having a motivated workforce and know how to harness the power of teamwork.

2)   Empathy:

In order to be an effective dean, you need to be able to put yourself into your team’s shoes, be an active listener, and perceive things from their point-of-view. If the performance is not up-to-the-mark, it is the academic dean’s responsibility to reach out to their team and work together to identify the root cause behind this problem. Doing well as an academic dean requires you to be compassionate as it is this compassion that allows you to bond with your faculty and staff members.

Also, if the dean expresses empathy, their underlings will not be hesitant to reach out and communicate their problems, concerns, and even suggestions.

3)   Decision-Making:

An academic dean holds their institution’s reins into their own hands and is required to take strong and often bold decisions. A standout dean is present-minded, possesses strong critical thinking abilities, and does not crack under pressure. These qualities allow the academic dean to calmly and analytically assess a situation from all angles and aspects, and then make a smart and informed decision. A dynamic dean would always come to a decision that they think is best for their institution and its stakeholders.

Having said that, no matter how good you are at your job, making a bad decision every now and then is pretty much inevitable. So, if a dean makes a call that turns out to be wrong, they should take full responsibility and not try to deflect the blame.

Final Word:

Academic deans are some of the most powerful and influential people. They are at the helm of their field because of their qualifications and experience and their characteristics and abilities. An outstanding academic dean is one who empowers their underlings, creates an environment of teamwork and collaboration, and knows how to rise to the occasion when the stakes are high.