High-Stakes Growth: Interim Leadership Roles in Higher Education - Part 2: Challenges + Red Flags
What are the challenges to interim roles?
“Warm body” problem: Institutions just need someone to hold down the role until the position can be filled with someone more qualified. You are it for now. Despite the title, this Interim role is actually an Acting role. Which connects to…
Working at 220%: if you’re already working at 110%, is it really possible to work at 220%? You risk becoming spread too thin, having less time for your portfolio and direct reports. The expectations are high without clear priorities and reduced balls to keep in the air for each role.
Full speed, learn as you go: oftentimes there is no training or transition for these roles. Just go! The quality of learning and growth is not intentional or guided to meet your interests and leverage your strengths.
Inside candidate syndrome: you want the role and now you’re interviewing from day one without training or reduced workload for your first role. The stakes are high as failure might very well knock you out of contention even before you submit your official application. Or you make it through application and become a finalist but you don’t get the role. Now what?
Grass is greener syndrome: once you have a taste for more, it may be difficult to go back to your current role.
Leadership confusion: what hat are you wearing? Who do you report to for what? You and your direct reports, teams, and everyone you interact with may have a hard time keeping track of the roles you are occupying as you navigate your interim work. Without helping your direct reports adjust how they work with you, your actions may haunt you as you move into or back from this interim commitment.
What does this say about the institution? Possible red flags?
Interim opportunities do not necessarily signal deeper issues with an institution but those considering these roles might consider some of these broader questions to help them weigh the pros and cons of taking an interim role.
Health of the institution or area: vacancies and leadership transitions can be an indication of existing instability in an organization. You can think of it like assessing your body when you start feeling that headache come on. Is it just dehydration or is it a cold or signs of the flu coming? Thinking through the health of an organization helps you reflect on what you may or may not want to get caught up in if you decide to step into the fray.
Emerging issues not yet fully resourced: does this interim opportunity represent institutional innovation or a lack of commitment? Institutions forecast needs but sometimes do not have the proper resources to fully fund the role at the moment. You may see or get offered interim roles for six months or a year, which is a typical duration needed for senior leaders to work through the fiscal year to secure the funds needed for the full time role. The institution might be reorganizing and consolidating roles related to equity and inclusion because they are responding to federal and state pressures. Could this signal a lack of true commitment for the role and what the role represents?
Pathways for career mobility or advancement are not there: Interim roles also exist to bridge an identified need but once the issue or the crisis point has been resolved, the role itself may no longer be necessary. In other situations, interim roles reveal to senior leadership that someone “more experienced” is needed for the role and that person is not you.
Leadership pipeline not there: the culture of an organization does not foster a leadership pipeline for emerging senior leaders. Unless you are working with a manager who has intentionally worked with you on a development and growth plan, it may be unclear what taking this interim role can do for you at the institution. Wisdom of a mentor or support from an executive coach may be needed.
Turnover/retention issues: in combination with a weak or non-existent leadership pipeline, interim roles could signal issues with retention and morale at the senior level.
Too much change at once: change overwhelm is real even at the executive level. The pain of a leadership departure can be compounded with other transitions or changes - a sudden resignation, illness, medical, family, or bereavement leave. Interim roles can sometimes be stopgap measures to slow the hemorrhaging of leadership needed to run an organization. And sometimes, Interim roles are actually Acting roles (see “warm-body” problem above).
All of these signal the need for deeper consideration if you are deciding whether or not to take an interim role. Depending on your own context, desires, and goals, these are not necessarily scary situations to run from. The point is to consider the broader context of what you are getting involved in and the more intentional you are, the less difficult the challenges will be.
