Fig. 1: Competencies and Success Profile Attributes graphic developed by the search committee in response to internal and external community feedback.
Strategic & long-term thinker
- Strategic agility and innovation management: Anticipates future consequences and trends accurately; brings creative ideas to market; recognizes strategic opportunities for change; creates competitive and breakthrough strategies.
- Learning on the fly: Learns quickly when facing new problems; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; experiments and will try anything to find solutions; enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks.
- Organizational agility: Knowledgeable about how organizations work; gets things done both through formal and informal channels; effectively maneuvers through complex political situations.
Skilled communicator
- Presentation Skills: Is effective in a variety of formal and informal presentation settings; commands attention and manages group process during the presentation; is cognizant of audience response and able to adapt content and style accordingly.
- Written Communication: Is able to write clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles; can get messages across that instigate appropriate actions.
Exceptional decision-maker
- Decision quality and problem solving: Uses analysis, ethical decision making, experience, and logical methods to make good decisions and solve difficult problems with effective solutions; appropriately incorporates multiple inputs to establish shared ownership and effective action.
- Creativity: Generates many new and unique ideas; makes connections among previously unrelated notions; is unafraid to use unorthodox methods; is seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
Visionary, innovative, and informed leader
- Dealing with Ambiguity: Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
- Planning: Accurately determines the length and difficulty of tasks and projects; sets clear, realistic, and measurable goals; sets priorities and time parameters to accomplish tasks and projects; anticipates roadblocks and develops contingencies to redirect tasks so momentum is not lost.
Supportive Administrator
- Builds effective teams: Builds cohesive teams of people within the organization; shares wins and success such that each team member feels valuable and appreciated; guides teams to establish and achieve goals.
- Motivating Others: Creates a climate in which people want to do their best; can assess each person’s strengths and use them to get the best out of him or her; promotes confidence and optimistic attitudes; is someone people like working for and with.
- Integrity & Trust: Is widely trusted; is seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; doesn't misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
- Managerial courage: Tactfully dispenses direct and actionable feedback; is open and direct with others without being intimidating; deals head-on with people problems and prickly situations.
Empathetic individual
- Interpersonal Skills: Is warm and easy to approach; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact to diffuse tense situations; has a style and charm that immediately puts others at ease and disarms hostility.
- Managing relationships: Responds and relates well to people in all positions; is seen as a team player and is cooperative; looks for common ground and solves problems for the good of all.
- Listening: Practices attentive and active listening; has the patience to hear people out; can accurately restate the opinions of others even when he or she disagrees.
- Valuing diversity: Manages all kinds and classes of people equitably; supports equal and fair treatment and opportunity for all; fosters a climate of inclusion, where diverse thoughts are freely shared and integrated.
- Compassion: Genuinely cares about people; is concerned with their academic and non-academic problems; is available and ready to help; demonstrates real empathy with the joys and pains of others.
NWC Specific Skills and Attributes
- Builds relationships with Legislators
- Understands, values, and is committed to effective BOT relationship
- Supporter of economic & workforce development
- Highly visible, student-centered with a commitment to enrollment and retention.
- Collegiate teaching experience
