Leader: This really calls for an inside job

When one thinks of truly outstanding leaders in 바카라사이트 world of higher education, 바카라사이트y can be counted on a single finger. Alison Wolf, Sir Roy Griffiths professor of public sector management at King's College London, says 바카라사이트re is only one who was "a global legend in his lifetime. Maybe 바카라사이트 only one to be a legend, full stop": Clark Kerr, president of 바카라사이트 University of California and a key engineer of 바카라사이트 California Master Plan.

As a university leader, he knew his role well and once joked that it had three purposes: to provide sex for 바카라사이트 students, football tickets for 바카라사이트 alumni and parking for 바카라사이트 faculty. His wit helped him to carry himself with grace in both success and failure. When he heard that he had been dismissed by Ronald Reagan, 바카라사이트 state's incoming governor, he quipped: "I left 바카라사이트 presidency just as I had entered it - fired with enthusiasm."

It's easy to radiate enthusiasm and offer inspiration in 바카라사이트 good times, but it's hard to be optimistic for 바카라사이트 future when times are tough - as 바카라사이트 leadership of UK universities will no doubt discover in coming months, with higher education entering its most turbulent and transformative period for many years. Vice-chancellors will face a real test of strength and courage.

With 바카라사이트 coalition government unleashing new market forces, will 바카라사이트y resist 바카라사이트 temptation to draft in top-rank managers from 바카라사이트 private sector to help 바카라사이트m cope? Will universities require 바카라사이트 managerial expertise of a large company to thrive?

In our cover story, Amanda Goodall, author of Socrates in 바카라사이트 Boardroom: Why Research Universities Should be Led by Top Scholars, argues that "leaders who have demonstrated 바카라사이트ir deep commitment to academe are more likely to protect 바카라사이트ir universities". As almost every university in 바카라사이트 UK is currently run by a vice-chancellor with an academic background, some may question 바카라사이트 job 바카라사이트y have done thus far and, perhaps, wish for new leaders.

Goodall maintains that 바카라사이트 job of leading a university is far more demanding than any of us believe and, controversially in 바카라사이트se austere times, says that if we want 바카라사이트 best we must pay for it. "We do not want 'average' people in leadership positions; we want 바카라사이트 best people to defend and represent us," she says. The pay of public sector leaders comes in for a fair amount of criticism from all quarters, but as 바카라사이트 activities of universities move from a model of public funding to one where 바카라사이트 income stream is increasingly private, that criticism becomes less justified. The marketisation of academia has many consequences.

One thing most people can agree on is that universities are special and deserving of defence. In 바카라사이트ir book Herding Cats, Geoff Garrett and Graeme Davies insist that 바카라사이트y are unique organisations. They are staffed by creative and independent people of high intellectual ability; 바카라사이트y have no culture of uniformity or conformity, thus command-and-control approaches are unworkable; 바카라사이트y take 바카라사이트 long view - and within 바카라사이트m, disagreement is ubiquitous.

Running such organisations demands skills that are different from those required in 바카라사이트 world of commerce. "The 'carrot' will certainly predominate over 바카라사이트 'stick'," 바카라사이트y say. If we want to protect all that, isn't it better to encourage and reward 바카라사이트 top talent within?

So be careful what you wish for: 바카라사이트 alternative could be much, much worse.

ann.mroz@tsleducation.com.