You might be aware of the recent sacking of the President of the University of Virginia by the Board of Visitors and the reinstatement that followed over the last several weeks. I take particular interest in this for three reasons: First because both of my children graduated from UVA, and, as a family, we take great pride in the university; Second because Teresa Sullivan, the President, is the first female president of Mr. Jefferson’s University and has a CV that leads me to believe that she is the right person to lead the university well into the 21 Century; and Third because I am a supporter of liberal arts education, and I do not think that STEM (science-technology-engineering-math) should supplant the classics in all educational settings today—-especially at UVA.
Although I understand and appreciate the STEM approach, I also know that world peace is high on my list of global objectives, and solving it—-or even meeting the myriad diplomatic challenges around the world—will take people with educations that center on past as prologue and understanding our futures based on the lessons of the past. The STEM approach will surely be necessary to assist in accomplishing those goals, but the lessons gained from a liberal arts education will be critical to success in the long-range missions. There is a place for both approaches. However, changing the core values of UVA as a bow to the power brokers of the graduate business school crowd and the profit merchants is out of place, and I was happy to see the right result come out of a tumultuous week in Charlottesville.
There were a few gems in all that I read about Teresa Sullivan and the University of Virginia over the past week. Among them were the writings of Thomas Jefferson about his concept for a great university, which seem as relevant today as they were in the Nineteenth Century. However, the gem that made me think of all of you was a list of what the Washington Post described as Sullivan’s Laws in an article on June 26, 2012 titled “She has the people. Is it enough?'” The list enumerates what Teresa Sullivan expects from those who have worked for her at places like the University of Texas and the University of Michigan and who work for her now at the University of Virginia. These Laws can just as easily apply to business and law or any field where leadership is important. Here they are. See what you think.
*Never surprise an administrator [or any superior or leader]
*Never punish the messenger
*Don’t hide bad news; meet it head-on
*People and time are our greatest resources; don’t waste them
*When dealing with a difficult matter, don’t leave anyone out.
These Laws make perfect sense to me, and I believe that if you follow them, you not only will become a good leader yourself but you also will know how to interact with good leaders. Most of all, as the Laws evidence, transparency and honesty are expected at all times.
Too bad the Board of Visitors did not read these Laws well in advance of its ill-advised surreptitious action over the the last two weeks. In fact, if the board members had read the tag line for the last Law, which reads, “or else be prepared for fall-out,” they might have known what they were up against.
Wahoo, wahoo! (If this does not mean anything to you, I suggest you consult the following: http://people.virginia.edu/~sfr/enlt214m/wahoo/index.html)
