Adding Leadership Development to Academic Curriculum Design in Higher Ed

While higher education leaders often cite leadership development as a priority, few institutions treat it as a teachable, measurable skill. In this episode of Changing Higher Ed®, host Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Dr. Scott Cowen about why leadership education should be integrated into the academic curriculum—and how institutions can implement it effectively.

President Emeritus of Tulane University, Cowen shares insights from leading the university through Hurricane Katrina and from his new book, Lead and Succeed, which outlines strategies to develop leadership skills in students and early-career professionals. He dispels the "born leader" myth and offers a framework for embedding leadership development at every level of the institution.

This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, and academic leaders seeking to build leadership capacity across campus.

Topics Covered:

• Why higher education often fails to treat leadership as a strategic priority

• How to embed leadership development into the academic curriculum

• Emotional intelligence and the behavioral traits of effective leaders

• Leadership lessons from Tulane's post-Katrina recovery

• Creating institutional systems that reinforce leadership behaviors

• The role of succession planning in long-term institutional health

Real-World Examples Discussed:

• Tulane University's relocation to Houston and Cowen's daily crisis communication strategy

• The development of a for-credit leadership course and workbook, Lead and Succeed

• Mentorship from Dr. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University for 50 years

• Cowen's "thinking out loud" email updates during crises at Tulane and Case Western

• Scaling structured leadership practices across institutions

Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:

1. Formalize leadership education. Establish structured academic courses with measurable outcomes. Integrate mentoring and reflection into the curriculum to build leadership competencies.

2. Develop repeatable crisis leadership practices. Use structured daily meetings and transparent communications to align institutional response during disruption.

3. Implement strategic succession planning. Treat leadership transitions as long-term planning initiatives. Build internal pipelines and normalize leadership exits to support institutional continuity.

This episode offers a practical framework for establishing a leadership-ready culture in higher education academic curricula.

Recommended For: Presidents, provosts, deans, academic affairs leaders, trustees, and student success strategists.

Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/leadership-development-academic-curriculum-design-in-higher-ed/

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