Ron Crutcher's guest appearances

Ron Crutcher

Getting Smart Podcast

Changing Higher Ed

Jo Boaler

Diane Tavenner

Sal Khan

Angela Duckworth

Greg Smith

Abby Falik

Ed Hess

Keith Brown

Paul Johnson

Sam Horn

Esther Wojcicki

Michael Horn

Ryan Craig

David Price

Brian Greenberg

OwlTail

Today Tom is speaking with Dr. Ron Crutcher, President and Professor of Music at the University of Richmond. He’s also the author of the new book, I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership. Dr. Crutcher was a founding co-chair of Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) and a former member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. His new book, I Had No Idea You Were Black, outlines his success as a Black intellectual navigating highly-charged social issues, his principles for leading and being, his personal and professional journey, his struggles as both an artist and an educator to overcome the blindness and cruelty of racism, and the ways in which we must build colleges and universities as places where learning starts with listening and where courage and character matter. Listen in as Tom and Dr. Crutcher discuss the influence of music, strong leadership, the role of university and college, lessons on life and leadership, and much more.   Key Takeaways: [:10] About today’s episode with Ronald A. Crutcher. [:44] Tom welcomes Ronald A. Crutcher to the podcast and congratulates him on his new book! [:56] How did the cello first enter Dr. Crutcher’s life? [4:28] How an incredibly influential teacher put Dr. Crutcher on a completely different life trajectory. [8:22] How this influential teacher (and the experiences that followed) impacted Dr. Crutcher’s leadership style. [11:44] Dr. Crutcher shares additional insights from his musical and performing arts background that he brings to his work today as an educational leader and President and Professor of Music at the University of Richmond. [14:47] Ron shares the story that resulted in the title of his book, I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership. [17:20] Ron speaks more on his experience of being one of the few African-Americans involved in symphonies and orchestras and the lessons he learned. [19:05] What began Ron’s dream of leading a university. [21:25] About Getting Smart’s new report on what’s next in learning! [23:05] Important characteristics and values for leaders and those in a role such as a college or a university President. [27:20] How Ron is able to stand by these values in his own role. [28:04] Ron speaks on the importance of being in a diverse community and what that should look like in a college or university. [31:14] Three key lessons from Ron’s book on acknowledging race, controversies, and slowing down to have these important conversations around diversity. [34:42] Ron elaborates what he sees the purpose of higher education as and what higher ed can do to create a shared reality around diversity and equity. [38:20] Ron’s agenda for improving diversity and equity at the University of Richmond. [42:28] Tom thanks Ron for joining the podcast and sharing his invaluable insights!   Mentioned in This Episode: Ronald A. Crutcher’s LinkedIn I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership, by Ronald A. Crutcher Getting Smart’s Newest Report: “20 Invention Opportunities in Learning &amp; Development”  Colleges  That  Change  Lives: 40  Schools  That  Will  Change  the  Way  You  Think  About  Colleges,  by  Loren  Pope  and  Hilary  Masell  Oswald  Getting  Smart  Podcast  Ep: “Joe  Truss  on  Dismantling  White  Supremacy  Culture  in  Schools”   Get Involved: Check out the blog at GettingSmart.com. Find the  Getting  Smart  Podcast  on  iTunes, leave a review, and subscribe.   Is There Somebody You’ve Been Wanting to Learn From or a Topic You’d Like Covered? To get in contact: Email Editor@GettingSmart.com and include “Podcast” in the subject line. The Getting Smart team will be sure to add them to their list!

Today Tom is speaking with Dr. Ron Crutcher, President and Professor of Music at the University of Richmond. He’s also the author of the new book, I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership. Dr. Crutcher was a founding co-chair of Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) and a former member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. His new book, I Had No Idea You Were Black, outlines his success as a Black intellectual navigating highly-charged social issues, his principles for leading and being, his personal and professional journey, his struggles as both an artist and an educator to overcome the blindness and cruelty of racism, and the ways in which we must build colleges and universities as places where learning starts with listening and where courage and character matter. Listen in as Tom and Dr. Crutcher discuss the influence of music, strong leadership, the role of university and college, lessons on life and leadership, and much more. Key Takeaways: [:10] About today’s episode with Ronald A. Crutcher. [:44] Tom welcomes Ronald A. Crutcher to the podcast and congratulates him on his new book! [:56] How did the cello first enter Dr. Crutcher’s life? [4:28] How an incredibly influential teacher put Dr. Crutcher on a completely different life trajectory. [8:22] How this influential teacher (and the experiences that followed) impacted Dr. Crutcher’s leadership style. [11:44] Dr. Crutcher shares additional insights from his musical and performing arts background that he brings to his work today as an educational leader and President and Professor of Music at the University of Richmond. [14:47] Ron shares the story that resulted in the title of his book, I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership. [17:20] Ron speaks more on his experience of being one of the few African-Americans involved in symphonies and orchestras and the lessons he learned. [19:05] What began Ron’s dream of leading a university. [21:25] About Getting Smart’s new report on what’s next in learning! [23:05] Important characteristics and values for leaders and those in a role such as a college or a university President. [27:20] How Ron is able to stand by these values in his own role. [28:04] Ron speaks on the importance of being in a diverse community and what that should look like in a college or university. [31:14] Three key lessons from Ron’s book on acknowledging race, controversies, and slowing down to have these important conversations around diversity. [34:42] Ron elaborates what he sees the purpose of higher education as and what higher ed can do to create a shared reality around diversity and equity. [38:20] Ron’s agenda for improving diversity and equity at the University of Richmond. [42:28] Tom thanks Ron for joining the podcast and sharing his invaluable insights! Mentioned in This Episode: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ronald</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crutcher</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">’</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">s</a> <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Had</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">No</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Idea</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">You</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Were</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black</a><a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">:</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Navigating</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Race</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Road</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">to</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leadership</a><a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">,</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">by</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ronald</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A</a><a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">.</a> <a href="https://clydehillpublishing.com/product/no-idea-you-were-black/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Crutcher</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Getting</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Smart</a><a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">’</a><a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">s</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Newest</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Report</a><a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">: “20</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Invention</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Opportunities</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Learning</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">&amp;</a> <a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Development</a><a href="https://www.gettingsmart.com/inventionopportunity/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">”</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Colleges</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> That</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Change</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Lives</a><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">: 40</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Schools</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> That</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Will</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Change</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> the</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Way</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> You</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colleges-That-Change-Lives-Schools/dp/0143122304/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=Colleges+that+change+lives+by+lauren&amp;qid=1614899061&amp;s=books&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Think</a> <a 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310- Ron Crutcher on I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership

Higher education needs to do a better job of preparing future leaders, especially in terms of leadership development and succession planning.  Some leaders, while academically very bright in their discipline, take on administrative roles with no knowledge of leadership or management. This can have severe ramifications for a department, college or university. Therefore, it’s important to identify and develop high potential leaders before the administrative job is open. Higher education could learn many lessons from counterparts in business and other organizations. For example, General Electric, which emphasizes leadership development, in its heyday, placed more of their executives in CEO roles at other companies than any other organization in the U.S. (and possibly the world).  Identifying Aspiring Leaders The first step to growing higher education leaders is identifying individuals who have potential. This can happen by watching how individuals interact and think during meetings and conversations. The next step is having conversations with these potential leaders. During these conversations, the senior leader can begin to explore the idea of whether the individual is interested in considering a leadership role. If the answer is “yes,” the senior leader can then begin to find ways to help the aspiring leader prepare for future leadership roles. Setting the Next Steps with Potential Leaders Senior leaders can assist aspiring leaders as they start their leadership journey in numerous ways. These include:  Encourage faculty who are aspiring leaders to gain leadership skills through participating in specific programs such as a leadership academy for faculty members who have promise. Participation in this type of program could prepare aspiring leaders to become effective mid-level leaders, such as a department chair or associate dean. Even if the faculty member decides not to assume a leadership position, they will have a better understanding of the complexities of leadership. Serve as a mentor or coach, or recommending other leaders who can serve in these capacities. Assign an aspiring leader to serve as a special assistant to the president. Nominate promising mid-level leaders such as deans for specific leadership programs and then eventually nominating them for presidencies.  Approaching a Potential Mentor While seasoned leaders need to be on the look-out for aspiring leaders, many leaders don’t think about serving as mentors. Therefore, it’s important for aspiring leaders to proactively seek out mentors and request assistance, such as asking if they could shadow the leader or schedule periodic meetings. Individuals from the Millennial Generation are more willing to reach out and ask a senior leader to serve as a mentor. They may meet a mentor at a conference or strike up a correspondence after reading an article that the mentor has written. Many senior leaders state that their motivation for becoming a mentor is to “pay forward” the kindness of an earlier personal mentor. Many mentors say they were spotted early in their career by a leader who helped groom than for success. Mentoring doesn’t have to be onerous or even formal – it can include providing feedback to young faculty or undergraduate students. These types of relationships create benefits for both the mentor and the mentees. While the senior leader’s schedule may not allow him or her to participate in time-intensive efforts such as shadowing, the leader may (and should) be open to having a conversation with an aspiring leader. This could open doors in the institution to help the aspiring leader grow. Key Steps to Support Aspiring Leaders Three critical steps that higher ed leaders can do to develop aspiring leaders:  Identify those individuals that have certain habits of mind and personality traits which indicate they have leadership potential. Have a discussion with the individual about their leadership options. Provide institutional opportunities for leadership development, whether through mentorships, coaching or specific training.  Bullet Points  Higher education leaders need to do a better job of identifying and nurturing the next generation of leaders. The first step is identifying potential leaders. This can happen during meetings or conversations. After the identification happens, the senior leader should be proactive in reaching out to that individual and schedule a time to talk with them to gauge his or her interest in assuming a leadership role in the future. If the faculty member is interested in leadership, the senior leader can begin to suggest opportunities, such as a leadership development seminar, a mentor or a coach. Aspiring leaders also need to be open to asking higher education leaders to serve as mentors. This could include having regular meetings together or the aspiring leader shadowing the senior leader. Senior leaders can nominate aspiring leaders for roles that would allow them to use their growing leadership toolkit and eventually nominate them for positions such as department head or assistant dean.  Links to Articles, Apps, or websites mentioned during the interview:  Colleges That Change Lives University of Richmond Office of the President Guests Social Media Links: Ronald Crutcher LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/ Ronald Crutcher Twitter: https://twitter.com/racrutcher  The Change Leader’s Social Media Links:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com 

Higher education needs to do a better job of preparing future leaders, especially in terms of leadership development and succession planning.  Some leaders, while academically very bright in their discipline, take on administrative roles with no knowledge of leadership or management. This can have severe ramifications for a department, college or university. Therefore, it’s important to identify and develop high potential leaders before the administrative job is open. Higher education could learn many lessons from counterparts in business and other organizations. For example, General Electric, which emphasizes leadership development, in its heyday, placed more of their executives in CEO roles at other companies than any other organization in the U.S. (and possibly the world).  Identifying Aspiring Leaders The first step to growing higher education leaders is identifying individuals who have potential. This can happen by watching how individuals interact and think during meetings and conversations. The next step is having conversations with these potential leaders. During these conversations, the senior leader can begin to explore the idea of whether the individual is interested in considering a leadership role. If the answer is “yes,” the senior leader can then begin to find ways to help the aspiring leader prepare for future leadership roles. Setting the Next Steps with Potential Leaders Senior leaders can assist aspiring leaders as they start their leadership journey in numerous ways. These include: <ul> <li>Encourage faculty who are aspiring leaders to gain leadership skills through participating in specific programs such as a leadership academy for faculty members who have promise. Participation in this type of program could prepare aspiring leaders to become effective mid-level leaders, such as a department chair or associate dean. Even if the faculty member decides not to assume a leadership position, they will have a better understanding of the complexities of leadership.</li> <li>Serve as a mentor or coach, or recommending other leaders who can serve in these capacities.</li> <li>Assign an aspiring leader to serve as a special assistant to the president.</li> <li>Nominate promising mid-level leaders such as deans for specific leadership programs and then eventually nominating them for presidencies.</li> </ul> Approaching a Potential Mentor While seasoned leaders need to be on the look-out for aspiring leaders, many leaders don’t think about serving as mentors. Therefore, it’s important for aspiring leaders to proactively seek out mentors and request assistance, such as asking if they could shadow the leader or schedule periodic meetings. Individuals from the Millennial Generation are more willing to reach out and ask a senior leader to serve as a mentor. They may meet a mentor at a conference or strike up a correspondence after reading an article that the mentor has written. Many senior leaders state that their motivation for becoming a mentor is to “pay forward” the kindness of an earlier personal mentor. Many mentors say they were spotted early in their career by a leader who helped groom than for success. Mentoring doesn’t have to be onerous or even formal – it can include providing feedback to young faculty or undergraduate students. These types of relationships create benefits for both the mentor and the mentees. While the senior leader’s schedule may not allow him or her to participate in time-intensive efforts such as shadowing, the leader may (and should) be open to having a conversation with an aspiring leader. This could open doors in the institution to help the aspiring leader grow. Key Steps to Support Aspiring Leaders Three critical steps that higher ed leaders can do to develop aspiring leaders: <ul> <li>Identify those individuals that have certain habits of mind and personality traits which indicate they have leadership potential.</li> <li>Have a discussion with the individual about their leadership options.</li> <li>Provide institutional opportunities for leadership development, whether through mentorships, coaching or specific training.</li> </ul> Bullet Points <ul> <li>Higher education leaders need to do a better job of identifying and nurturing the next generation of leaders.</li> <li>The first step is identifying potential leaders. This can happen during meetings or conversations.</li> <li>After the identification happens, the senior leader should be proactive in reaching out to that individual and schedule a time to talk with them to gauge his or her interest in assuming a leadership role in the future.</li> <li>If the faculty member is interested in leadership, the senior leader can begin to suggest opportunities, such as a leadership development seminar, a mentor or a coach.</li> <li>Aspiring leaders also need to be open to asking higher education leaders to serve as mentors. This could include having regular meetings together or the aspiring leader shadowing the senior leader.</li> <li>Senior leaders can nominate aspiring leaders for roles that would allow them to use their growing leadership toolkit and eventually nominate them for positions such as department head or assistant dean.</li> </ul> Links to Articles, Apps, or websites mentioned during the interview: <ul> <li><a href="https://ctcl.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Colleges That Change Lives</a></li> <li><a href="https://president.richmond.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">University of Richmond Office of the President</a></li> <li>Guests Social Media Links:</li> <li>Ronald Crutcher LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronald-a-crutcher-8160bb4a/</a></li> <li>Ronald Crutcher Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/racrutcher" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/racrutcher</a></li> </ul> The Change Leader’s Social Media Links: <ul> <li>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/</a></li> <li>Twitter: @thechangeldr</li> <li>Email: <a href="mailto:podcast@changinghighered.com">podcast@changinghighered.com</a></li> </ul>

The Key to Building Strong Inclusive University Leadership with Dr. Ron Crutcher | Changing Higher Ed 018