Taming the Beasts of Leadership: Bridging the Gap to Support Students in Crisis

Dr. Teranda Knight, DBH, IBHL, LSSGB

October 29,2025

lion roaring to identifying the beast in higher education leadership

Introduction 

Higher education institutions are often perceived as bastions of knowledge and opportunity, yet beneath the surface lie systemic challenges like what I call the “beasts of leadership.” These beasts manifest as fragmented decision-making, siloed communication, and reactive crisis management. When left unchecked, they compromise student outcomes, exacerbate mental health crises, and erode trust between faculty, staff, and administration. 

The urgency of addressing these issues has intensified in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in leadership structures, forcing institutions to pivot rapidly while grappling with enrollment declines, faculty burnout, and unprecedented student mental health needs (Altamirano, 2024). As colleges and universities navigate this complex terrain, cohesive decision-making and faculty-staff collaboration are no longer optional, they are essential for fostering resilience and equity. 

This article explores the leadership challenges impacting student success, examines the role of faculty and staff in crisis prevention, and proposes strategies for bridging gaps through shared governance and trauma-informed leadership practices. 

Understanding the Beasts of Leadership 

Leadership in higher education operates within a “loosely coupled” system, where autonomy and specialization often overshadow integration (Dornfeld et al., 2020). This structural complexity creates fertile ground for leadership challenges, including bureaucratic inertia, lack of transparency, and resistance to change. These dynamics hinder timely responses to crises and perpetuate inequities. 

Research underscores the importance of adaptive leadership frameworks in navigating crises. Sunderman et al. (2020) argue that adaptive leadership characterized by flexibility, stakeholder engagement, and systemic thinking offers a roadmap for addressing multifaceted challenges in higher education. Yet, many leaders remain tethered to hierarchical models that prioritize control over collaboration, limiting their capacity to respond effectively to student needs. 

The beasts of leadership are not merely organizational. They are cultural. Siloed departments, competing priorities, and unclear accountability mechanisms create an environment where faculty and staff often lack clarity on their roles in supporting student well-being (Becker et al., 2023). Without intentional efforts to dismantle these barriers, institutions risk perpetuating cycles of crisis management rather than prevention. 

Impact on Student Outcomes 

The consequences of leadership fragmentation are stark. Student mental health has reached crisis levels, with over 60% of college students meeting criteria for at least one mental health condition during the 2020–2021 academic year (Abrams, 2022). These challenges extend beyond individual well-being, influencing academic performance, retention rates, and overall institutional success. 

Faculty and staff play a pivotal role in shaping student experiences, yet their capacity to intervene is often constrained by unclear policies and inadequate training (Riba, 2025). When faculty lack guidance on recognizing and responding to distress signals, opportunities for early intervention are lost. Similarly, staff in student services may struggle to coordinate with academic departments, resulting in fragmented support systems. 

Moreover, the mental health needs of faculty and staff cannot be overlooked. High rates of burnout and emotional exhaustion among educators compromise their ability to provide consistent support (Flannery, 2024). Institutions that fail to address these parallel crises risk creating environments where both students and employees operate under chronic stress, undermining the educational mission. 

Bridging the Gap Between Faculty and Staff 

Effective crisis prevention hinges in collaboration. Studies highlight the benefits of integrated support systems that align academic and student services (Gipson et al., 2024). Such models foster a holistic approach to student success, ensuring that mental health, academic advising, and career development are interconnected rather than siloed. 

Shared governance emerges as a critical mechanism for bridging these gaps. Defined as the collective oversight of institutional operations by faculty and administrators, shared governance promotes transparency, trust, and mutual accountability (Becker et al., 2023). When implemented effectively, it empowers stakeholders to co-create policies that prioritize student well-being. 

However, shared governance is not without challenges. Variability in interpretation and execution often leads to confusion and conflict (Raza et al., 2025). To overcome these obstacles, institutions must adopt inclusive governance models that amplify diverse voices and dismantle structural inequities. This requires cultural shifts toward collaboration and recognition of interdependence between academic and administrative functions. 

Prevention Through Cohesive Decision-Making 

Cohesive decision-making is the antidote to fragmented leadership. It involves aligning institutional priorities with evidence-based practices that center student well-being. Governance models such as networked and collegial frameworks offer pathways for achieving this alignment by balancing efficiency with broad participation (Hussein & Zadeh, 2024). 

Trauma-informed leadership further strengthens these efforts. By acknowledging the pervasive impact of trauma on students and staff, leaders can cultivate environments that prioritize safety, trust, and empowerment (Holden & Bruce, 2024). Trauma-informed practices long established in K-12 education are gaining traction in higher education as institutions recognize their potential to enhance engagement and academic success (Gao et al., 2023). 

Implementing these practices requires more than policy changes; it demands a paradigm shift. Faculty development programs should incorporate training on trauma-informed pedagogy, while administrative leaders must embed these principles into institutional strategies. When combined with shared governance, trauma-informed leadership creates a foundation for ethical, student-centered decision-making. 

Conclusion 

The beasts of leadership: fragmentation, opacity, and resistance pose significant threats to student success and institutional resilience. Taming these beasts requires a multifaceted approach that integrates shared governance, cohesive decision-making, and trauma-informed practices. By fostering collaboration between faculty and staff, higher education leaders can transform crisis response into crisis prevention, ensuring that students receive the support they need to thrive. 

The path forward is clear: dismantle silos, embrace inclusivity, and lead with empathy. In doing so, institutions not only safeguard student outcomes but also reaffirm their commitment to equity and excellence in an era of unprecedented challenges. 

Meet Dr. Teranda Knight 

I am Dr. Teranda Knight, DBH, IBHL, LSSGB, CEO and Consultant at Virtually Renowned Consulting Access LLC. My mission is to help higher education and behavioral health leaders identify systemic barriers, implement ethical leadership strategies, and create sustainable solutions for student success. 

Through consulting, coaching, and leadership development programs, I specialize in: 

1. Building cohesive decision-making frameworks 

2. Training faculty and staff in crisis intervention and trauma-informed practices 

3. Designing leadership certification courses and practicum experiences 

4. Integrating stress alleviation strategies and ethical governance models 

If your institution is struggling with student mental health crises, fragmented leadership, or faculty-staff disconnect, I can help you tame the beasts of leadership and cultivate a culture of resilience and equity.  

I look forward to serving you. Book your service today. 

References 

Abrams, Z. (2022). Student mental health is in crisis. Monitor on Psychology, 53(7). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care 

Altamirano, M. A. (2024). U.S. higher education in crisis: A study of leadership challenges in a post-pandemic world. In The Palgrave Handbook of Crisis Leadership in Higher Education (pp. 625–637). Springer. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-54509-2_32 

Becker, A. H., Goode, C. H., Rivers, J. C., Tyler, M. W., & Becker, J. D. (2023). Shared governance and systems theory: A mixed methods study of faculty perceptions and ideas. Higher Education Politics & Economics, 9(2), 22–47. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1399826.pdf 

Dornfeld, B., Gilmore, T. N., Hirschhorn, L., & Kelly, M. (2020). The challenges of strategy and leadership in higher education. CFAR. https://cfar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Dornfeld_Gilmore_Hirschhorn_Strategy_Leadership_in_Higher_Ed.pdf 

Flannery, M. E. (2024). The mental health crisis among faculty and college staff. NEA Today. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/mental-health-crisis-among-faculty-and-college-staff 

Gao, H., Chen, P.-F., & Yao, L. (2023). Trauma-informed practices in higher education: A comprehensive literature review (2015–2023). International Journal of Higher Education, 12(6), 149–162. https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v12n6p149 

Gipson, M., Walts, J., & Williams, N. (2024). Bridging the gap: Staff and faculty perception of collaboration between student services and academic affairs. Journal of Student Success Research, 15(2), 45–62. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1483932.pdf 

Holden, S., & Bruce, J. (2024). Trauma-informed practices and leadership education: A literature review. Journal of Leadership Education, 23(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOLE-01-2024-0016 

Hussein, S., & Zadeh, M. (2024). Governance models and decision-making structures in higher education. Applied Science, Engineering and Management Bulletin, 1(1), 21–28. https://doi.org/10.69889/asemb.v1i1 

Raza, K., Roach, P., Hardcastle, L., Hayden, A., Gereluk, D., & Bharwani, A. (2025). A systematic review of the conceptualization, interpretation, and implementation of shared governance in post-secondary contexts. Studies in Higher Education, 50(8), 1591–1609. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2388274 

Riba, E. B. (2025). Towards defining the faculty role in supporting student mental health. Current Psychiatry Reports, 27(3), 319–325. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11920-025-01599-4 

Sunderman, H. M., Headrick, J., & McCain, K. (2020). Addressing complex issues and crises in higher education with an adaptive leadership framework. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 52(6), 22–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2020.1839322