Leading Systemic Change Using the Change Leadership Toolkit (CLT)

The higher education environment continues to evolve in new and often unpredictable ways that continue to challenge efforts to transform undergraduate education. From the changing landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to shifting enrollments and declining revenue, the everchanging state and federal policy landscape, and the continual evolution of technology, leaders must be prepared to lead in this unsettled environment. It is more important now than ever that campus leaders have the practical tools they need to drive proactive and strategic changes on campus. To support leaders in understanding and enacting systemic change, we developed the Change Leadership Toolkit (CLT), a step-by-step, research-based, hands-on guidebook for leaders engaged in systemic change projects. We define systemic change as change that involves multiple departments, divisions, or units and results in deep and meaningful changes to policies, procedures, norms, and cultures that result in transformation of the system. The CLT connects theory to practice in that it is grounded in an Ecosystem Model for Systemic Change Leadership that brings together the leadership context in which leaders are operating and the available levers they have at their disposal as a foundation for shaping strategic change leader moves that will help leaders achieve more scalable and sustainable change. The Toolkit is relevant for leaders at any institutional type, from community colleges to research universities, public to private, and minority- or majority-serving. It provides tools for leaders who are leading departments, centers, schools or colleges, or entire institutions or multi-institutional projects.