Here’s a thought: own your actions. Take personal responsibility for what you say, how you behave, and what you do. I’d like to think that goes without saying, but apparently it doesn’t. During my time in university administration and leadership, I return time and again to this thought. To the reality that surprisingly few people seem (ready) to acknowledge their role in any given situation. Or to consider their impact on others. So much so, in fact, that I’d argue the concept of responsibility is dangerously absent.
Why the dearth of responsibility? Sometimes it’s simply human nature, because its easier to blame others, to deflect responsibility to the faceless (big, bad, mendacious) ‘administration’. It’s more natural somehow to avoid it, because it’s the easier path. It’s almost inexcusable in this sense, as in people don’t know any better and therefore can’t be blamed for their actions or lack of awareness. We think first of ourselves, rarely considering or seeing the effects of our decisions and actions on others. Yet the collateral damage is very real and damaging.
My assessment is that, far too often inside universities, the individual reigns over the collective. That selfishness, so ingrained in human behaviour, comes to the fore, conquering its weaker counterpart. That singular actions and desires too often outweigh the benefits of the group. That the ‘universitas’, in all its plurality as a collective, as a community, as a corporation, somehow plays second fiddle to the individuals who comprise it.
It’s hard to comprehend the wider implications of one’s actions. To see beyond oneself requires discipline and practice. And few people are prepared to develop that deep awareness of place, and the surrounding environment in which they exist as cohabitants. Those who are more prescient make not only better colleagues, advocates, and champions, but also the best kind of human beings.
Let me try to qualify these remarks.
I heard a Political Science professor on the news recently lambasting his university President for efforts to remove a group of protesters on campus. Casting blame on the institution’s figurehead, he implied that conversation, consultation, understanding, and basic civility were trumped in favour of brute force. How easy it was for this member to criticize (publicly) with very little understanding. The infuriating part was that he got airtime, that anybody listening to the news was subjected to the righteous indignation of a leader trying to run an organization. Whereas the President was taking full responsibility for his organization’s decision, the faculty member all too easily undermined the complex efforts with his pithy academic position. His views was narrow and idiosyncratic – much to the detriment of the larger complement of people who were doing their best to manage and navigate a complex situation.
I have encountered versions of insolence in my leadership role where personal responsibility is virtually absent. The implications and negative effects on others is fraught. One of the most challenging aspects of leadership is knowing and seeing first-hand how individual actions impact others. How selfish behaviours negatively influence and erode the fundamental academic mission, which relies wholeheartedly on the collective to succeed. How hard it truly is to garner a full understanding of any given situation, enough so to judge your actions as morally and ethically responsible.
The greatest challenge lies with trying to create understanding. Some sort of shared baseline. To confront the individual perspective. To awaken the person to a deeper connection. To cultivate purpose and meaning. To be open-minded enough to introduce doubt – a healthy amount in order to broaden horizons and leverage empathy. While expecting personal responsibility may be a step too far, holding people accountable for their actions, and ultimately trying to nurture an environment of understanding is a necessary and laudable cause. It’s a position in which I find myself time and time again, and one against which I will repeatedly stand in the name of fairness and equity.