What Traits Make a Great College President?

Trustworthiness, resilience, and effective and authentic communication topped a list of most important skills needed in a college president, according to a survey of those who already hold the job by executive search firm Academic Search. Among the over 700 college presidents surveyed, over 90% listed those qualities as “very relevant” to the job, with “behaves in a way that is trustworthy, consistent, and accountable” cited the most frequently at 96%. Listening to and understanding stakeholder concerns was also highly cited. Some 84% of respondents ranked that as very relevant, along with gathering and using data, also named by 80% as very relevant.