Article Review: Encouraging disabled leaders in higher education: recognising hidden talents. Review by Nick Open access link - Now online at Nicki Martin’s (2017) paper on encouraging disabled leaders in higher education (HE) through the recognition of their hidden talents is a well-written piece of work that should become required reading for the vice-chancellors of all universities and the members of their management boards. I found it a stimulating read so it more than lived up to its description as a stimulus paper for me. By encouraging better leadership development practice in HE, I believe this paper has the potential to make a significant difference to the management of HE institutions and thus to – student experience and university profitability as well as improving disability – equality, and opening up opportunities for disabled leaders and potential leaders. As one might expect, Martin’s work highlights both positive and negative leadership experiences of disabled people working in the HE sector. She highlights the evidence showing that the ability to lead has nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not an individual is disabled. In fact, she says there are clear indications that disabled people’s experiences give rise to hidden talents that may make them especially suited to leadership roles. Furthermore, their attitudes and values often appear in tune with the realisation that leadership is not confined to the team’ in an organisation ‘top but is spread throughout the organisation (distributed leadership). The difficulties a disabled person faces in an environment of attitudinal barriers, and need for strategies’, forces them to develop problem solving skills ‘coping which may enhance their ability to lead. I agree with Martin that key ‘A finding was that a striking degree of congruence emerged between participants’ descriptions of their own values and approaches as leaders and the principles of distributed leadership’. Maybe this should come as no surprise as disabled people often have to take charge of situations in the absence of support. It may also be that the appreciation that no woman or man is an island is that much more obvious to those for whom an environment may be All the recommendations in this report will ‘unfriendly’. lead to greater disability equality in HE and should be implemented by all universities. Recommendations of a general nature, such as the need to review university systems from the perspective of the have a relevance ‘user’, beyond the area of disability equality.
Article Review: Encouraging disabled leaders in higher education: recognising hidden talents. Review by Nick Open access link - Now online at Nicki Martin’s (2017) paper on encouraging disabled leaders in higher education (HE) through the recognition of their hidden talents is a well-written piece of work that should become required reading for the vice-chancellors of all universities and the members of their management boards. I found it a stimulating read so it more than lived up to its description as a stimulus paper for me. By encouraging better leadership development practice in HE, I believe this paper has the potential to make a significant difference to the management of HE institutions – and thus to student experience and university profitability – as well as improving disability equality, and opening up opportunities for disabled leaders and potential leaders. As one might expect, Martin’s work highlights both positive and negative leadership experiences of disabled people working in the HE sector. She highlights the evidence showing that the ability to lead has nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not an individual is disabled. In fact, she says there are clear indications that disabled people’s experiences give rise to hidden talents that may make them especially suited to leadership roles. Furthermore, their attitudes and values often appear in tune with the realisation that leadership is not confined to the ‘top team’ in an organisation but is spread throughout the organisation (distributed leadership). The difficulties a disabled person faces in an environment of attitudinal barriers, and need for ‘coping strategies’, forces them to develop problem solving skills which may enhance their ability to lead. I agree with Martin that ‘A key finding was that a striking degree of congruence emerged between participants’ descriptions of their own values and approaches as leaders and the principles of distributed leadership’. Maybe this should come as no surprise as disabled people often have to take charge of situations in the absence of support. It may also be that the appreciation that no woman or man is an island is that much more obvious to those for whom an environment may be ‘unfriendly’. All the recommendations in this report will lead to greater disability equality in HE and should be implemented by all universities. Recommendations of a general nature, such as the need to review university systems from the perspective of the ‘user’, have a relevance beyond the area of disability equality.