- Kevin Sanders
- Jan 24
- 6 min read
January 24, 2026
Read Time - 4 minutes
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Picture in your mind a “perfect” higher ed leader. Take a few seconds. Really see them.
What did you imagine?
You probably saw someone polished, poised, and straight out of a leadership search posting: “Visionary leader with proven track record of excellence. Strategic thinker. Collaborative yet decisive. Change agent who honors tradition. Bold but cautious. Inspiring communicator with impeccable judgment.”
And while we’re at it…someone who always has the right answer in the moment. Dresses the part (whatever "the part" is). Projects unwavering confidence. Makes tough decisions without losing sleep. Responds to every email within 24 hours. Oh, and they probably also mentor junior faculty, publish regularly, make it home for dinner every night, coach their kid’s soccer team, and volunteer at the community center.
I’m here to tell you: This person doesn't exist.
They don't.
We have leaders in higher education who pretend to be this person. Who exhaust themselves performing this version of leadership. But it's not real. It's a composite sketch we've absorbed from hiring committees, leadership books, and our own insecurities about whether we're "enough."
And if you're in the job market right now—drafting cover letters, preparing for campus visits, rehearsing your vision for the role—you're probably feeling the pressure to become that mythical leader. To sand down your quirks. To present the polished, unassailable version of yourself.
Here's what I've learned from hundreds of on-campus interviews for staff, faculty, and leadership roles: The quirks that make you you are often exactly what makes you memorable. The human moments. The authentic connections. The times when your real passion for the work shows through.
It reminds me of great classroom teaching. The most impactful teachers aren't typically the ones who play it cool—they're the ones who are unabashedly themselves. They take a topic that students have zero initial interest in and make it the most fascinating thing in the world through sheer passion and personality. That's the power of authenticity.
Because here's the thing: no one can relate to perfect. We can respect someone who looks like they perform that way, but it's hard to connect with them. And leadership is fundamentally about connection. Somewhere along the way, we internalized the idea that leadership means becoming someone else. Someone more polished, more certain, more presidential than we actually are.
If you're searching this year, I'm rooting for you. And I want to offer a different approach—one where preparation and authenticity aren't in tension, but work together to help you stand out for the right reasons.
Preparation Meets Authenticity
Academic leadership searches are fundamentally about fit—not just whether you can do the job, but whether you're the right person for this job, at this institution, at this moment. And fit isn't something you perform your way into. It's something you discover through honest preparation, thoughtful self-reflection, and the courage to be yourself.
The challenge? Balancing thorough preparation with genuine presence. Do the work to understand the institution, but be objective about what you find. Research their mission, but don't abandon your own values. Prepare strong answers, but leave room to be human.
I’m talking about raising the bar in a different way—by showing up as a leader who knows themselves, respects the process, and isn't afraid to let the real person show through.
How to Stand Out (Without Trying to Be Someone Else)
1. Do Your Homework—Then Show Up as Yourself
Once you receive your interview schedule, invest time learning about the people you'll meet. Look up their recent work, their backgrounds, their areas of focus. This allows you to show genuine interest and make your conversations more substantive.
Use what you learn to ask thoughtful, specific questions tailored to each group: students, faculty, the dean's team, the president's council, development, enrollment. Each audience has different priorities and perspectives. Your questions should reflect that.
Prepare well. Research the institution. But don't mold yourself into what you think they want to hear. Be you. Share what you've learned from failures, not just successes. Be honest about what energizes you and what drains you. Let your values show.
The right fit will value the real you. The wrong fit won't—and that's information you need.
2. Prepare Thoroughly—But Stay Human
For your application materials: It's remarkable how many cover letters for leadership roles start with "To whom it may concern" or ramble for two pages without mentioning the position profile once.
I can’t stress this enough—get specific:
Why this role?
Why this institution?
Why now?
Generic applications blend in. Personalized ones get you invited to interview. This requires effort—but that effort signals you're not just looking for a job. You're looking for this job.
If you have a presentation: Respect the time constraints. Run through it 3-4 times so you're concise and confident. But don't over-rehearse to the point where you sound like you're reciting a script.
For content:
Share your successes, but spend more time on what you could bring to their institution
Don't just list what you've done (that's in your CV)—explain why you do what you do and how it connects to their mission
Make it about them, not just you
The best presentations aren't always the most polished. They're the ones where your passion for the work comes through, where people can see how you think, where you're clearly connecting your experience to this specific opportunity.
3. Remember: You're Interviewing Them Too
Here's what candidates (and search committees) often miss: interviews aren't just about answering their questions well. They're your chance to assess whether you want this role.
You're considering a major life change. Ask like you mean it.
This isn't just professional polish—it's about your future. Use your preparation to ask questions that help you decide if this is actually the right fit for who you are and who you're becoming as a leader.
The questions you ask say as much about you as the answers you give. Make them count.
Bottom Line
The academic job market is exhausting. It asks you to be vulnerable while maintaining professionalism, to sell yourself while staying humble, to prepare extensively while appearing natural.
But here's what I've learned from both sides of the search process: the candidates who land the right roles are typically the ones who do the work to understand the institution, know themselves well enough to assess fit honestly, and have the courage to show up as themselves.
Embrace the self-reflection. Applying for leadership roles is emotional. It's a powerful exercise in self-awareness. Don't rush it.
Ask yourself tough questions:
Does this mission align with who I am?
Can I see myself growing here long-term?
Is this the kind of work that will make me proud five years from now?
What am I willing to compromise on? What am I not?
Every interview—even the ones you don't land—is an investment in knowing yourself better as a leader. That clarity is worth something, regardless of the outcome.
The mythical perfect leader doesn't exist. And thank goodness for that.
What exists instead are real people doing hard work with integrity, bringing their whole selves to the challenges of leading in higher education. That's who committees are actually looking for—even if they don't always know how to say it.
Prepare thoroughly. Research deeply. Know yourself. See how you truly align with what they're looking for.
And trust this: the right fit values the real you.
That's it for today. See you next Saturday!
When you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
💡 1:1 Coaching
When you need a thinking partner who gets higher ed leadership. We'll tackle your specific challenges—navigating politics, building systems that stick, protecting time for strategic work, or managing that difficult personality. Limited spots each quarter. Book a 30-minute call.
🗣️ Workshops & Speaking
Help your team stop spinning their wheels. Interactive sessions that teach practical skills: making better decisions faster, handling conflict productively, and creating systems that free up time instead of consuming it. Your campus. Your challenges. Tailored solutions. Book a 30-minute call and tell me what you're looking for.
📥 Free Resource
Your First 14 Days: The essential playbook for new academic leaders [Download]