Institute News

I am a self-proclaimed overthinker; if there’s a way to ruminate on something, I’m going to do it. Recently, for Leadership Academy, I started reading “Reality-Based Leadership” by Cy Wakeman. I have been pleasantly surprised by this book, and even a few chapters in, I have found some valuable lessons. The biggest takeaway has been related to my overthinking. In the book, Wakeman notes that stress is not caused by what happens to us, but rather by the stories we tell ourselves about it. In a chain of events, the one thing that we can control is the way we think about it.

In today’s fast-moving work world, being a good leader means more than just leading a team. It’s also important to know how to work effectively with your bosses to achieve success for your organization. This is called leading up and involves skills like communicating well, collaborating with others, and influencing people in higher positions. Mastering these skills can create a positive work culture and help your agency move forward. 

Coming home from the UT Board of Trustees meeting, I listened to an interview of the current governor of Utah, Spencer Cox.

Innovation, Honesty, Engagement, Accountability and Respect: I HEAR

Jocko Willink and Leif Babin draw powerful leadership principles from their experiences as U.S. Navy SEALs in "Extreme Ownership."  Each chapter describes a leadership lesson learned during their combat or training experience. The chapter explains the leadership principle and the principle’s application to business. As I was reading, I realized that the principles aligned with the values and desired behaviors of BE ONE UT. After the chapter name, I have added the value and behavior from BE ONE UT that I think align with each chapter.

I’m an outdoors guy and an avid backpacker. I love spending time on the trail. As spring approaches, my wife and I are already planning which backpacking trips we are going to tackle this year. As we are considering parks to visit and routes to take, it’s made me look back and reminisce about some of the lessons I’ve learned over the miles, much of which can be applied to our roles as leaders.

Last month’s LEAD article was inspired by a visit Resa and I made between Christmas and New Year’s Day to the Little White House in Key West, Fla. I’d like to revisit (figuratively) the Little White House one more time to make another observation.

That observation is: good leadership makes a (positive) difference!

Twenty-four executives from campuses and institutes across the University of Tennessee System were chosen to make up the 2024 class of the Executive Leadership Institute. The institute, which is operated by the UT Institute for Public Service’s Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership, develops executive leaders for the needs of the UT System.

Members of the fifth cohort will begin their year-long journey with an orientation on January 23 in Nashville. They are:

The Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource of Tennessee (SMART Initiative), a program of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service (IPS), has partnered with Gibson Gives—the charitable foundation for Gibson, the iconic and leading global instrument brand—to place ONEbox opioid emergency response kits in Knoxville music venues.

Tennessee’s violent crime rate ranks as one of the highest in the nation. Fortunately, Governor Bill Lee is taking action, in part by releasing $100 million for violent crime intervention.