In HigherEdJobs’ recent Careers and Coffee conversation, we explored perspectives on what it takes to succeed as a female leader in academia through the professional journey of Dr. Tomikia LeGrande, president of Prairie View A&M University.
Through a conversation with HigherEdJobs’ Kelly Cherwin, LeGrande discussed pivotal moments in her career, strategies and mindsets that have shaped her leadership success, and advice on balancing personal well-being while pursuing professional excellence.
LeGrande’s path to the presidency is unique in that she has a background in enrollment management, as well as student affairs and student success.
Individuals from these backgrounds don’t often move to the presidency, she admitted. Yet, her path was strategic. “I have really tried throughout my career to have a set of experiences that gave me opportunities to engage in different institution types and cultures and to expose myself to broad layers of leadership that I could then move institutional change,” she said.
In terms of advancing one’s career, LeGrande encouraged attendees to focus less on job titles and more on the experiences and skills that they need to gain. While some may say she made some lateral moves in her career, these positions provided valuable experience with other institution types. “You have a set of skills and experiences,” she explained. “Now you need to see if you can deploy your expertise in a new culture, and that’s all leadership is really about,” she said.
Other highlights of the conversation included:
- The importance of honing your communication skills. Early in her career, a supervisor and mentor of LeGrande’s taught her that the presentation of messages matters. Leaders should be careful not to let emotions get the best of them. “Make sure you give yourself time and space to be devoid of the emotion and to talk about the facts to be persuasive as to why it matters and to offer some solutions,” she told attendees. One way to do this is to unpack your emotions through journaling, which may help you find the salient points and facts that need to be addressed.
- A look at performance punishment. “It’s this concept of [being] rewarded for good work with more work,” LeGrande said. “Over time, as the work keeps coming and the resources don’t come with it or the salary doesn’t come with it, what started out as an endorsement begins to feel like exploitation.” Think about whether there is something you can gain from the experience, she advised. What’s in it for you? What are you gaining? What are you losing? When there’s nothing left to gain, or it’s impacting higher-priority work, then it’s time to have a conversation with your supervisor.
- How to build a personal advisory council. LeGrande stressed the importance of surrounding yourself with people invested in your success, especially those who will be honest “even when it hurts.” She talked about building relationships and finding not only mentors but champions and even “trench buddies.”
For more of Dr. LeGrande’s advice on becoming a leader in higher ed, navigating biases against women, and overcoming challenges on your path, listen to the full recording on YouTube.
About Careers and Coffee:
HigherEdJobs’ Careers and Coffee is a series of live, interactive Zoom conversations with experts in higher education. Designed to help job seekers and higher ed professionals reflect meaningfully on their careers, the series offers expert advice and insights on best practices, emerging trends, and career-related issues. View a list of all sessions.
