Aired: October 6, 2026

Leading for the Long Haul: How to thrive after 18 years at one institution

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This Fall Season of The Higher Ed Marketer Podcast is proudly sponsored by NextGrad.

Long-term leadership depends on knowing what each moment requires. Dr. Todd J. Williams, President and CEO of Cairn University, reflects on 18 years in the presidentโ€™s chair and explains why leaders must sometimes push, pull, or pause. He shares how trust, honest self-examination, restorative practices, and patience help leaders act with wisdom without being ruled by urgency or morale alone.

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What We Cover in This Episode

๐Ÿ”˜ How long-term leadership creates room for iterative change

๐Ÿ”˜ Why restorative interests are part of sustaining a calling

๐Ÿ”˜ How to recognize when a moment calls for a push, pull, or pause

๐Ÿ”˜ Why trust and character matter more than a leadership formula

๐Ÿ”˜ How patience and honest motives strengthen difficult decisions

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Episode Highlights

01:48 - What 18 years at one institution makes possible

06:45 - Integrating restorative interests into a leaderโ€™s life

12:40 - Reading the moment before choosing how to lead

18:43 - Why inviting input does not guarantee agreement

22:41 - Knowing when a pause serves the outcome

26:01 - Recovering when a leader misreads the moment

38:41 - Learning that patience can be its own reward

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