Accepting a new role is the beginning, not the finish line. The leaving, the preparation, the first months in the seat — each one matters more than most leaders expect.
"Leaders are typically underprepared for and undersupported during the transition to new roles."McKinsey & Company
Higher education leadership transitions are uniquely complex. The culture is collegial yet political, the informal power structures are rarely mapped, and the expectations placed on new leaders are almost never fully articulated.
Most leaders arrive underprepared, not because they lack capability, but because everyone assumes competence in the role is enough. It rarely is.
And before the new role begins, there's the leaving: the handover, the relationships to close well, the professional reckoning that comes with stepping away from something you built.
Institutions bear responsibility too. According to ACE's American College President Study, only two-thirds of new presidents felt the search process provided appropriate disclosure of the challenges facing their institution. Most leaders walk into their new role without a complete picture of what it will actually demand.
of executive transitions are regarded as failures or disappointments within two years.
McKinsey & Companyof leaders report feeling unprepared for their new role.
Development Dimensions Internationalof departing college presidents are making no preparations for their successor.
ACE American College President Study, 2023No two transitions are alike. The engagement is structured around three phases, but its duration is calibrated to your specific role, institution, and starting point.
A deliberate, structured exit. Honoring what you built and preparing what comes next.
Deep preparation for what the new role will actually demand, before day one.
Navigating the critical first months: decoding culture, building trust, and leading with intention from the start.
Engagements run from three to twelve months, calibrated to where you are in your transition and what it requires.
Whether contemplating a move, navigating a search, or stepping into a new role, Cultivar works with senior leaders at every stage.
Conversations are confidential.