Leading by Example

Dr Isaacs

Four months into his appointment as the SBL’s COO, it is clear that Dr Gavin Isaacs has hit the ground running.   What has undoubtedly helped, is that Dr Isaacs is no stranger to either the SBL or Unisa.  Prior to taking up the position of SBL’s COO, Dr Isaacs had worked at Unisa for over 16 years, occupying positions in the Directorate Music as well as the Examinations Division. In 2015 he was seconded to the position of Acting Director: Unisa Centre of Learning (UCL).  In addition, he took on the role of project manager for the Examination Security Project from 2014 to 2015.   

Dr Isaacs is a proud alumnus of the SBL, having gained his Doctorate in Business Leadership (DBL) with a focus on Change Management, Change Leadership and Organisational Behaviour.

A born leader with a talent for guiding change and building administrative centres of excellence, the SBL is thrilled to have Dr Isaacs join the team.  

Dr Isaacs took the time to provide us with his insights into academia and leadership, as well as to share a little bit about what makes him tick.

Dr Isaacs, what changes over the past few years have you seen in the academic environment around management and administration? 

Over the last three years, the landscape of higher education has changed significantly as a result of student movements such as #FeesMustFall and the subsequent announcement of free higher education for all.  These were seminal moments that drove universities to consider critical issues beyond the notions of learning and qualification.  For example, the considerations around access to higher education, acknowledging students’ financial and socio-economic realities, and the more prominent role that the student is now playing in decision-making.  

As few institutions were ready for the unexpected change to the status quo, there was a period of scrambling as they tried to make sense of the new reality.  My experience of Unisa at the time was that it was one of those institutions that has always been able to adapt and would continue to adapt in order to remain relevant to its students.  Unisa began very seriously to investigate strategies that would place the needs of its students front and centre.

Has this approach had an impact on the SBL?

Most definitely.  SBL took a strategic decision towards the end of 2018 to position itself as an institution driven by student-centricity. 

To this end, we have initiated a dynamic process that will provide us with a ‘barometer’ of how students experience and interact with the SBL, and to fine-tune administrative processes and procedures around this.  Our key point of departure is that while processes and policies are distinctly important, these should not impede the student’s experience and ability to graduate from the SBL. 

What do you hope to achieve in your tenure as the SBL COO?

My goal is to help the SBL achieve our goals.  Unisa is the only mega-institution on the continent and we want the SBL to be seen in the same light, as an excellent, highly efficient business school that can provide a valuable and enriching student experience. 

What do you believe makes a great leader and what do academic institutions require of their leaders?

Leadership is not a popularity contest.  I like to say that while your presence may not necessarily be valued, at least your absence must be felt.

For me, leadership is about having the courage to make decisions.  Sometimes those decisions may be the right ones; other times less so.  Leading well is being able to weigh up the situation, make a decision with confidence, and then have the boldness to take responsibility for that decision. 

I am also a firm believer in participative leadership.  I like to involve my staff in decision-making processes because this empowers them and gives them a sense of responsibility which brings with it a level of accountability.

In the academic environment, a good leader is someone who is not only well-versed in leadership theory, but is that person who has been in the trenches and over time has been able to build up a ‘lived’ experience within the academic environment.  

What critical aspects about staff do leaders sometimes overlook?

Be aware that everyone learns at their own pace, and understand that the time it takes for you to do something might be different to that of your staff members.  Listen, observe and practice patience in this regard.

Never underestimate the richness that can come from providing staff members with opportunities to grow and learn.  You will see them flourish as they become aware of their own potential.  

Often COOs are concerned that ‘over training’ staff will result in good staff leaving the organisation.  They ask:  What if we train them and they leave?  I would ask the opposite:  What if we don’t train them and they stay?

Tell us about an important milestone in your career.  

When I was an administrative coordinator just beginning my Master’s in Business Leadership (MBL), Unisa was developing its strategic plan for 2015.  I wrote to the Vice-Principal responsible for strategy saying that I loved strategy and asked if I could be a part of the project. His response was no; finish your MBL and then we can talk.  

It was serendipitous that the week I graduated, I literally bumped into the VP in the corridor at Unisa.  I said to him, “Prof, you might not remember but three years ago I wrote to you, and you said that when I’d completed my MBL I could approach you. Well, I’m graduating this week; could I have a conversation with you?”  He told me to make an appointment.  The upshot is that he seconded me to a large project in the university involved in organisational architecture.  This was the start of a significant chapter in my career.

What do you do in your down time?

Both my wife and I have undergraduate degrees in music so there is always music in our house.  My youngest son who is 14 plays the piano, and my older son, 19, who is currently studying medicine, plays the saxophone.  Although there isn’t much time for me to play the piano these days, I do play the organ at church. I also love a good fly-fishing outing in Dullstroom.