At Hyatt-Fennell Executive Search, we believe that the higher education community is made stronger when its leaders share openly with one another. The challenges facing our colleges and universities today—enrollment pressures, financial headwinds, rapid technological change, and shifting public trust—are too significant and too complex for any one leader to navigate in isolation. Collaboration and candid conversation are not luxuries; they are professional necessities. That conviction is what inspired us to launch the Let’s Talk Series—a space where experienced higher education leaders can reflect, share, and learn from one another in the spirit of collective growth and mutual support.
We are kicking off the series with a question that gets to the heart of presidential leadership—the kind of decision that doesn’t make headlines on the day it is made, but whose effects ripple forward for years:
What leadership decision did you make early in your presidency that had the biggest long-term impact on your institution?
Perhaps it was a personnel decision—a hire or a restructuring that reshaped the culture of your cabinet. Perhaps it was a strategic pivot, a community partnership, or a difficult conversation with your board that set a new tone for shared governance. Perhaps it was something quieter: a value you insisted on, a practice you modeled, or a relationship you invested in before anyone told you it mattered.
Whatever your answer, we want to hear it. Share your reflection in the comments, reply to this post, or reach out to us directly. Your experience has the power to inform and encourage the next generation of presidents just beginning their own journey. Let’s talk.
