Vicki Bautista

This self-care action plan is written for today’s leaders in higher education regardless of rank, tenure, or stature. Being a successful professional takes stamina, and successful individuals can only sustain their momentum for as long as they maintain their well-being. Approached in a thoughtful and personal way, this book identifies self-care challenges faced by professionals in higher education and provides strategies for building a rewarding, long-term career. The authors identify the root cause of issues that impact well-being to achieve professional sustainability. Each chapter provides background information on a topic, engaging activities to explore the topic in greater depth, and reflective questions for self-evaluation, and the final chapter offers guidance to help readers design their own self-care plan. Chapter topics were selected based on the authors’ interactions with professionals, information from the field, and trends in higher education. The topics include communication complexities; role clarity; lack of control; the need for meaningful recognition; lack of confidence in leadership; the need to trust others; building personalized professional growth opportunities; recognizing “job creep”; and the inherent challenges of high-achieving professionals. Book Features: Recognizes the unique challenges faced by those working in colleges and universities, guiding readers through the process of creating a self-care plan. Inspires readers to consider the root causes impacting their professional sustainability in higher education and assess where there might be room for self-care growth. Includes activities and reflection questions to prompt and guide introspection and engagement with each topic. Useful for anyone working on a college or university campus, including community colleges, 4-year institutions, or specialized educational organizations.

This self-care action plan is written for today’s leaders in higher education regardless of rank, tenure, or stature. Being a successful professional takes stamina, and successful individuals can only sustain their momentum for as long as they maintain their well-being. Approached in a thoughtful and personal way, this book identifies self-care challenges faced by professionals in higher education and provides strategies for building a rewarding, long-term career. The authors identify the root cause of issues that impact well-being to achieve professional sustainability. Each chapter provides background information on a topic, engaging activities to explore the topic in greater depth, and reflective questions for self-evaluation, and the final chapter offers guidance to help readers design their own self-care plan. Chapter topics were selected based on the authors’ interactions with professionals, information from the field, and trends in higher education. The topics include communication complexities; role clarity; lack of control; the need for meaningful recognition; lack of confidence in leadership; the need to trust others; building personalized professional growth opportunities; recognizing “job creep”; and the inherent challenges of high-achieving professionals. Book Features: Recognizes the unique challenges faced by those working in colleges and universities, guiding readers through the process of creating a self-care plan. Inspires readers to consider the root causes impacting their professional sustainability in higher education and assess where there might be room for self-care growth. Includes activities and reflection questions to prompt and guide introspection and engagement with each topic. Useful for anyone working on a college or university campus, including community colleges, 4-year institutions, or specialized educational organizations.

In this book, Gretchen Oltman and Vicki Bautista walk you through the eight steps necessary to craft a personal leadership philosophy: a reflective explanation of the leadership style, core values, mindset, and real-life experiences that make you the leader you are today. When you can authentically tell your story, your school community will know you, what you value, and why you make decisions the way you do. You will rediscover a sense of purpose, renewal, and inspiration that may have slipped away amid the chaos of life—and you can build a stronger connection with those you lead and work beside. Leading in a school setting does not mean you need to lose your individual identity. You became a school leader by following your own unique path. You possess talents that set you apart from others. By working purposefully to share your personal leadership philosophy, you can create a new expectation of what school leaders should be and counter the unrealistic assumptions that others may hold. You can be more than your title. What's your leadership story?