Making the Case for Leadership: Profiles of Chief Advancement Officers in Higher Education

(Paperback)

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The advancement industry has experienced tremendous growth in breadth and depth over the last few decades. Driving this growth is the chief advancement officer; however, as a relatively new position on most college and university campuses, little is formally known about the role and the people who fill it. In Making the Case for Leadership, Jon Derek Croteau and Zachary A. Smith provide insightful and intimate details of ten of the most high performing and successful CAOs in the industry: their career paths, leadership philosophies, and other important leadership variables. Additionally, the book presents the authors' Advancement Leadership Competency Model, based on the results of the interviews and rigorous data analysis. Croteau and Smith delve further into the advancement office and its history, impact, and potential than any book or research ever has. They conclude this momentous undertaking with the lessons learned and implications for the future related to the next generation of advancement leaders and future leadership development and training programs.

Reviews

Our profession has, at long last, a thoughtful and nuanced examination of the skills, competencies, mindset, and characteristics required of chief advancement officers to lead in the brutally competitive marketplace of higher education today. Croteau and Smith are, thankfully, two scholar-practitioners who eschew a trite 'how to' approach in favor of a layered, deeply insightful case-study format. To all of today's development officers who hope to become a chief advancement officer in the future: this book will put a sledgehammer to your preconceptions of the 'top job' and encourage you to take steps now for your future success. -- Darrow Zeidenstein, vice president for resource development, Rice University
The Chief Advancement Officer has evolved in the last four decades as an essential leadership position on college campuses. This book is the first of its kind to explore this role and to profile significant leaders. It concludes by outlining 14 practical leadership competencies. Worthwhile ideas are presented on each page of this text. It should be required reading for all future Chief Advancement Officers. -- Kim Nehls, executive director, Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)
This book wonderfully illustrates the various leadership styles and competencies which contribute to success in advancement. Croteau and Smith propose a theoretically grounded model of advancement leadership that will be helpful for those who desire to develop a deeper understanding of the multiple roles occupied by chief advancement officers. Making the Case for Leadership is a terrific read both for sitting chief advancement officers and for those who aspire to lead universities and their advancement organizations. -- Timothy C. Caboni, vice chancellor for public affairs; professor of educational leadership and policy, University of Kansas; editor of International Journal of Educational Advancement
Through their skillfully conducted studies, Croteau and Smith communicate the stories of some true leaders in our profession. Making the Case for Leadership is compelling reading for both established professionals and newcomers in the field. -- James J. Husson, senior vice president for university advancement, Boston College

Author Bio

Jon Derek Croteau is a senior consultant with Witt/Kieffer, the single largest executive search and leadership solutions firm specializing in health care, education, and not-for-profit organizations committed to improving the quality of life. He is also adjunct professor at The University of Rochester in the Warner Graduate School of Education. He is the author of The People First Approach, a guide to recruiting, developing and retaining the right people, and has published numerous articles on strategic talent management in higher education. Zachary A. Smith is assistant vice chancellor of development at the University of California, Riverside. He also consults with higher education institutions on talent management and organizational research projects. Previously, he was the senior director of strategic talent management & initiatives for university advancement at the University of California, Irvine. His work has been highlighted in the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Chronicle of Philanthropy.