- Kevin Sanders
- Apr 20
- 3 min read
Updated: May 25
April 20, 2025
Read Time - 3 minutes
Most academic leaders grow up in systems built on mentorship.
Someone further along offers advice. You learn by watching. You take on more responsibility by following what worked for them.
But as you move into more complex leadership roles—where decisions are high-stakes, contexts are unpredictable, and solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all—that model starts to fray.
What got you here doesn’t always help you lead from here.
Mentoring: Guidance Built on Shared Experience
Mentoring plays a vital role in higher ed. It’s often informal, born out of generosity and shared values. A senior colleague may take you under their wing and offer support as you step into new roles.
In these relationships, you might receive:
Career advice from someone who’s walked a similar path
Lessons learned through experience
Encouragement during tough transitions
An insider’s view of institutional dynamics
Mentors help you orient to the work. But eventually, you’ll face leadership moments that are more about what’s next than what’s worked before.
Coaching: A Process That Helps You Move Forward
Academic leadership coaching is a structured process, designed to help you think more clearly, act more intentionally, and grow more effectively in your role.
Where mentoring often centers around the mentor’s experience, coaching focuses entirely on your context and goals.
A coach isn’t there to give you their playbook—they’re there to help you build your own.
Through coaching, you can:
Clarify priorities in the middle of competing demands
Unpack your decision-making process
Strengthen leadership habits that align with your values
Build tools that increase consistency and reduce stress
Get unstuck in areas where traditional advice no longer applies
Key Differences: Coaching vs Mentoring
Which Is Right for You?
Mentoring might be right if you:
Need help understanding how your institution operates
Are looking for relational guidance from someone with shared experience
Coaching might be right if you:
Feel like you’ve plateaued or hit a leadership ceiling
Are facing resistance, burnout, or organizational pressure
Need help clarifying your vision and aligning your team
Want to lead more strategically—not just reactively
The truth is, many leaders benefit from both. Mentoring lays the foundation. Coaching builds the framework you’ll lead from.
Case in Point: When Mentorship Hits Its Limit
I worked with an associate dean who had benefited from excellent mentors throughout her career. But as her scope of responsibility expanded, the decisions got messier—and the stakes higher.
She was looking for clarity.
What coaching offered wasn’t more answers—it was a space to think.
To slow down.
To build a leadership rhythm that fit the complexity she was navigating.
That shift helped her stop defaulting to “what would they do?” and start asking, “what’s the best path forward given what I know now?”
Why It Matters in Higher Education
In academia, where leadership is often learned on the job, support must evolve as responsibilities change.
Mentorship builds belonging. Coaching builds capacity.
Leadership today requires more than inherited wisdom. It requires perspective, tools, and space to think intentionally. Coaching provides that structure.
And it’s not just for leaders in crisis—it’s for leaders who are ready to grow.
The Opportunity Ahead
If you’re navigating new challenges or seeking clarity in your role, it’s worth asking: is your current support system helping you move forward?
Coaching isn’t a replacement for mentorship. It’s the next step when you’re ready to move from familiar guidance to customized growth.
Because academic leadership is too important—and too complex—to do on autopilot.
Whenever you’re ready, here are ways I can help you:
2. Subscribe to The Academic Leader’s Playbook - Every Sunday, I share one actionable and practical insight designed to help campus leaders save time, manage effectively, and focus on what's important.
3. One-on-One Coaching - Need a thought partner for the real-world challenges of academic leadership? I’m an ICF-certified coach with 20 years of experience helping higher ed professionals cut through the noise, lead with confidence and build systems that work. I work with a limited number of leaders each quarter to ensure they receive a personalized focus - contact me for availability.
4. Workshops - I lead interactive workshops that build faculty and leadership skills—with practical tools your team can apply immediately. Each session is tailored to your campus needs and designed for real-world impact.