The 21st-Century Presidency: A Call to Enterprise Leadership

The 21st-Century Presidency: A Call to Enterprise Leadership is the latest in a series of periodic reports from AGB to examine the nature of the presidency and governance. Written by AGB Senior Fellow Terrence MacTaggart, former chancellor of the Minnesota and Maine systems, the report addresses the question of how the presidency has changed—and might need to continue to change—to meet contemporary demands on higher education. It also explores new forms of collaboration between presidents and boards that will enable them to meet a wide range of challenges—from challenges to the traditional business model and calls for innovation to issues related to campus climate, the impact of social media, and changing student demographics.

Informed by input from more than a hundred institutional leaders and the results of a survey of institutional board chairs, the report presents the concept of “enterprise leadership” as a means for understanding and meeting the expectations of the 21st-century presidency. It encourages presidents to…