Making the Case for Leadership

Reviews / Votes

Making the Case for Leadership offers high profile insiders' assessments of higher education advancement--and the characteristics necessary for success--through the voices of 10 chief advancement/development officers at prestigious US public and private universities and colleges. . . . Making the Case for Leadership offers intriguing insights into the complex university advancement environment, characterized by multiple audiences and governance processes shared not only with faculty, but also with diverse stakeholders and resource providers. The nuggets of "practical, actionable" advice the study offers practitioners also raise substantive marketing research questions. Drawing on research in areas such as services marketing, boundary spanner roles and influence strategies to develop more robust, theory-based research in marketing leadership in higher education will deepen and extend understanding in the areas of the field that Croteau and Smith charted in Making the Case for Leadership. * The Journal of Academic Administration in Higher Education * Our profession has, at long last, a thoughtful and nuanced examination of the skills, competencies, mindset, and characteristics required of chief advancement officers to lead in the brutally competitive marketplace of higher education today. Croteau and Smith are, thankfully, two scholar-practitioners who eschew a trite 'how to' approach in favor of a layered, deeply insightful case-study format. To all of today's development officers who hope to become a chief advancement officer in the future: this book will put a sledgehammer to your preconceptions of the 'top job' and encourage you to take steps now for your future success. -- Darrow Zeidenstein, vice president for resource development, Rice University The Chief Advancement Officer has evolved in the last four decades as an essential leadership position on college campuses. This book is the first of its kind to explore this role and to profile significant leaders. It concludes by outlining 14 practical leadership competencies. Worthwhile ideas are presented on each page of this text. It should be required reading for all future Chief Advancement Officers. -- Kim Nehls, executive director, Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) This book wonderfully illustrates the various leadership styles and competencies which contribute to success in advancement. Croteau and Smith propose a theoretically grounded model of advancement leadership that will be helpful for those who desire to develop a deeper understanding of the
multiple roles occupied by chief advancement officers. Making the Case for Leadership is a terrific read both for sitting chief advancement officers and for those who aspire to lead universities and their
advancement organizations. -- Timothy C. Caboni, vice chancellor for public affairs; professor of educational leadership and policy, University of Kansas; editor of International Journal of Educational Advancement Through their skillfully conducted studies, Croteau and Smith communicate the stories of some true leaders in our profession. Making the Case for Leadership is compelling reading for both established professionals and newcomers in the field. -- James J. Husson, senior vice president for university advancement, Boston College