Community colleges face a critical leadership gap as seasoned administrators retire. Effective succession planning and leadership development are crucial for sustaining institutional excellence.
The American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) has pioneered this work for more than 50 years through its LEADERS Institute, empowering thousands of women leaders. The LEADERS Institute is a five-day intensive program based on the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Competencies for Community College Leaders. It blends workshops on variety of topics – negotiation and strengths coaching, for example – with presidential panels and peer collaboration.
This article comes from the October/November issue of the Community College Journal, published by AACC.
Here are five actionable strategies for practitioners, grounded in best practices and AAWCC’s legacy.
Embed leadership development in strategic planning
Succession planning must align with institutional goals. Integrate leadership pipelines into strategic plans and performance evaluations, ensuring that resources are allocated for talent development and cultivation.
For example, identify high-potential staff for targeted training and align leadership competencies with institutional priorities, such as student success metrics. Research indicates that colleges that formalize this process are 72% more likely to fill leadership gaps effectively.
Prioritize inclusive pathways
Broaden leadership pipelines beyond traditional academic roles. Actively recruit women, minorities and staff from non-academic departments (e.g., facilities, IT) for development programs.
AAWCC’s founding in 1973 – born from the workshop “Woman: Her Challenge to the Community College” – exemplifies this. The LEADERS Institute, launched in the 1980s, has trained more than 6,000 women by focusing on diverse leadership styles and mid-career professionals.
Leverage experiential learning
Move beyond theory to hands-on application. Design workshops that simulate real challenges, such as budget crises, board negotiations or change resistance.
LEADERS 2025 participants reported high engagement with scenarios, such as active shooter drills and AI strategy sessions. Allocate 40% of training time to collaborative problem-solving and track improvements in decision-making agility.
Forge mentorship networks
Pair emerging leaders with seasoned executives for skill transfer. LEADERS Institute graduates credit networking with presidents and peers as pivotal for career advancement.
Structure formal mentor matching, with quarterly goals and cross-institutional partnerships. Colleges such as Gogebic Community College (Michigan) achieved 30% faster leadership readiness by involving custodial and support staff in mentorship circles.
Target mid-level manager development
Strengthen the “middle layer” of leadership. Offer specialized training in executive communication, team motivation and crisis management – areas where LEADERS 2025 participants requested a deeper focus.
Track outcomes through pre- and post-assessments of skills, such as conflict resolution, and measure promotions within 18 months.
Sustainable leadership requires intentional cultivation of diverse talent. By integrating these strategies – strategic alignment, inclusivity, hands-on learning, mentorship and mid-level support – colleges can build resilient pipelines. AAWCC’s half-century legacy proves that investing in human capital transforms institutions, one leader at a time.
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Scheherazade W. Forman, Ed.D., is executive director of the American Association for Women in Community Colleges, an AACC-affiliated council. Ashanti Bryant Foster, Ed.D., is the AAWCC LEADERS Ambassador and interim dean at Prince George’s Community College in Maryland. Tyjaun A. Lee, Ph.D., is dean of the AAWCC LEADERS Institute and vice chancellor for administrative services at Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Missouri.