As a leader at the senior director level, you need to be skilled at leading in different directions - often simultaneously. This competency provides insights into leading up, down, and across the organization with clear values, active communication, and strong engagement.

By the end of this competency, you will be able to:

• Develop a personal statement that captures the principles and values you represent professionally
• Apply emotional intelligence to lead with empathy, balancing organizational goals with the needs of your team.
• Develop skills to communicate and influence up, down, and across the organization
• Practice active communication techniques that strengthen relationships, enhance collaboration, and deepen team engagement.
• Apply specific communication skills to be successful in contexts of crisis management

Great leadership isn’t about authority — it’s about impact. The most effective leaders understand that people are the engine of every organization, and when individuals feel seen, inspired, and connected to meaningful work, extraordinary things happen. Being an effective senior director requires more than just managing tasks; it calls for the ability to create environments where people are motivated, engaged, and empowered to thrive.

By the end of this competency, you will be able to:

• Develop strategies that align with individual motivators to drive engagement, satisfaction, and performance.
• Identify and apply elements of organizations where people love to work
• Evaluate strategies to recruit and retain people in roles where they thrive and contribute
• Discuss how to craft and share a clear and compelling vision to inspire action and align teams with shared goals.
• Apply advanced coaching techniques to support the development of others through intentional, reflective practice.

For senior leaders, navigating change isn’t a one-time task — it’s a core part of the job. Whether leading institutional shifts, restructuring teams, or rolling out new systems, senior directors are expected to not only manage change but also champion it. The challenge lies in aligning vision with execution, minimizing resistance, and maintaining momentum across diverse stakeholders and departments.

By the end of this competency, you will be able to:

• Evaluate organizational readiness for change by identifying key barriers and enablers to successful implementation.
• Apply proven change management frameworks to lead meaningful transformation across units and the institution.
• Evaluate strategies to promote a culture that sustains momentum during organizational change, ensuring continuous engagement and buy-in from stakeholders.
• Identify qualities of effective and enduring change managers.

For senior directors in higher education technology, strategic resource management is more than balancing budgets — it's about making smart, data-empowered decisions that enable innovation, advance institutional goals, and create long-term sustainability. With the increasing need to be intentional with every resource, the ability to effectively align financial planning with organizational strategy is essential.

By the end of this competency, you will be able to:

• Evaluate higher education tools and resources for collecting data that drive informed financial decisions.
• Identify strategies for planning and overcoming budget and resource constraints to maximize impact.
• Apply strategic resource management practices to foster innovation and sustain long-term success for both the unit and the organization.

At the senior director level, leadership requires thinking tactically and strategically — to address immediate needs while steering toward long-term goals. Whether driving unit-level initiatives or contributing to enterprise-wide planning, senior leaders must make informed decisions that reflect institutional priorities, resource realities, and governance structures.

By the end of this competency, you will be able to:

• Blend tactical and strategic thinking to shape a well-rounded leadership approach.
• Leverage institutional and unit data to make informed, high-quality decisions.
• Identify key characteristics and models of governance that drive successful strategic planning.
• Explore frameworks for strategic decision-making that balance short-term results with long-term institutional goals and priorities.