Should You Get Into This Search?

People frequently ask me whether they should respond to search inquiries. Since more often than not, the women who reach out have received negative messages about their potential ambitions, my role is to offer an alternative perspective: Why not go for it?

At a recent conference, however, I talked with three HERS Institute alumnae who faced more challenging decisions. Each person seemed to have strong motivation to get into the search but also faced potential serious downsides in being part of the process -- or receiving the offer.

• Sandra’s situation was not that unusual: “I’m the interim dean. I thought I wouldn’t be interested in staying in place, but I’m being urged to get into the search. I think I want to do it.”
• Maria’s invitation is a flattering but complicated one: “I’ve been nominated for a senior position at my undergraduate alma mater. I’m at a large university now and think I have the experience to do what they need, but some people might say the jump is too much from my current position.”
• Celia’s invitation was a surprise to her, but it poses questions many of us should consider: “I’ve been called by a search consultant looking for a dean at an institution that is currently in the news for financial challenges. I really admire its open-access mission, but I’m not sure if the resources are there for success -- for the students, as well as for me.”

I admit I used to respond to most questions of this sort with “What do you have to lose?” But in many cases today, there are indeed potential downsides to being in searches without a good understanding of the issues that will affect you throughout the process. That’s particularly the case if, for any reason, you are feeling a strong pull to seek a specific position. There is a wider range of outcomes to consider.

Can You Live With a No?

For Sandra, as the interim candidate, a negative decision would mean being in a place with colleagues who know that she was considered for the position and not asked to continue. In addition, the outcome of the search will likely be a part of discussions about any future searches. Many candidates will also be eliminated in that search, but there can be a particular stigma associated with being turned down when you have had an opportunity to perform the job and have your work assessed -- regardless of the many factors that can go into such decisions.

The big question in this situation is whether it’s possible to receive a no and not take it too personally. Can you accept a negative decision from a search committee of people who know you without letting it seriously disrupt relationships with them and other colleagues? Will you be able to deal with your disappointment and maintain a commitment to your institution, finding other ways to help fulfill its mission?

If you can remain committed and connected where you are, then when the time comes for looking at other positions, questions about this search will be less of a problem. If you cannot separate yourself that much from the outcome, this exposure will come with a high price.

In the second situation, Maria’s nomination at her alma mater involves some personal exposure in that she knows many people on the campus. She has served as a leader of the alumnae association of the college and assumes one of the vice presidents has nominated her. For her, however, the bigger issue is the sense that maybe her candidacy is a stretch. The search consultant agrees that having been dean of a school at a large university has prepared her for the role as provost at this small institution. But she’s aware that her current provost was a bit startled when she asked him about the possibility. He agreed to support her but ended with, “It seems like a jump.”

Maria has to decide if she’s prepared to go forward and accept that the search committee or the president of her alma mater might think the same thing. Or that her provost and other colleagues may interpret a no that way, regardless of the reasons for the decision. Can she accept that the situation is unusual and the outcome somewhat risky -- and then also be prepared to affirm that she still has much to learn at her current institution?

As for Celia’s interest in the troubled institution, it poses the lowest stakes in terms of a negative response. She might be disappointed, but the investment in terms of emotional exposure is low. She is not being rejected by colleagues. Even if she knows many people on the campus for various reasons, she is not a known leader within the community. In fact, the greater risk for her is possibly a yes.

Can You Live With a Yes?

So what would a yes mean for Celia and others who take on positions at institutions facing great financial challenges? Those challenges can stem from many sources, of course, so the first order of business during such a search would be identifying the main causes behind the financial situation. The next would be finding out what vital resources the institution has for addressing those causes, including the skills and commitment of other key leaders.

With that information in hand, accepting an invitation to take a leadership position on such a campus would mean an honest assessment of: 1) your capacity to address these key causes and 2) your commitment to staying the course to whatever resolution is finally the best for students and the larger community.

Accepting an offer under those circumstances will also mean a commitment to creating the support system you will need to weather the inevitable setbacks, as well as celebrate the small wins that most people will not be able to understand or appreciate until much farther into the journey. Passion for the mission will take you through some difficult times, but you will need support to persevere as long as it will take to change the situation for most troubled institutions. And you have to be ready personally and professionally to face outcomes that feel like defeat to many. Not all institutions we would love to save can be saved.

As the interim dean in a search for the permanent leader, Sandra would also face a complicated set of challenges with a yes. It would seem obvious that an offer to accept the permanent position would be a positive outcome. She has seen most of what is ahead of her in the role and would be building on what she has accomplished in her interim term.

But going into the search in order to affirm what you have already done can be a setup. Are you clear that this is the best match for you, rather than a match that seems most easily available at the moment? I’m not arguing that we can always hold out for the perfect next step, but it is important to be sure that you are excited by what is ahead. Are you clear you will be eager to take on the challenges even if none of the campus skeptics change their minds about whatever they did not like before? “Showing them” is not a good reason to say yes.

A yes for Maria at her alma mater would mean figuring out how to sort the familiar from what will be new. Going back to your alma mater obviously does not mean going back to the institution you knew as a student, and Maria has stayed involved enough to know that. But she is also facing quite a few changes. She may be eager to lead at this particular small institution, but will the move be the best fit for her in the long term?

Given this is comparatively early in her career, has she considered possible next steps? Would accepting this appointment mean she has moved away from the arena of large universities as she plans for her future roles? That is probably the case. Does she know enough about comparable small institutions to see other places where she might imagine herself leading in the future? Is this yes an interesting detour or an exciting new path?

Positive Outcomes

All three women had strong reasons to participate in the searches. The outcomes were somewhat risky, but they provided opportunities to make a difference for people on the campus and the institution going forward. Each woman made a different decision about how to respond.

But all three are now clearer about what they had on the line. Whether their next steps are accepting offers or seeking other opportunities, each knows better what she can live with. She knows what she’s looking for -- as well as what she’s looking out for.