The first six months (or even year) of a position is often called an academic leader’s “honeymoon period.” People are more likely to overlook an administrator’s mistakes and to cut the person a little bit of slack about taking the institution or program in a new direction. That’s a good thing, because new academic leaders frequently get in their own way by committing five mistakes due to inexperience—at times bringing their honeymoon period to a sudden, inglorious close. Although these five newbie mistakes are most common among academic leaders who are brought in from the outside, a few of them are also committed by those who are new to their jobs within the same institution.
Leading Like Lasso: Leadership Skills That Build and Sustain Positive Organizational Culture
On his first day coaching English football, Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, walks into the locker room with no playbook, no soccer experience, and no intention of pretending he
Deborah Erickson and Katie Fischer
September 2, 2025
