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Presidents in Action: Turning Crisis into
Accomplishment
By Charles W. Sorensen
Transformational change for an organization can be
driven by many factors: excellent leadership, effective strategic
planning, or even a crisis. The University of Wisconsin–Stout
(UW–Stout) is a good example of an organization that used the
latter situation to effect change—change that ultimately led to
receiving the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
In 1996, I faced the most serious crisis of my career, a
vote of no confidence by the faculty and academic staff. A heated,
tumultuous Faculty Senate meeting on February 10—well-attended by
the media, which were urged to be present—began three months of
intense campus debate over my leadership and leadership style. I
received harsh, personal criticism; inflammatory e-mails; and open
requests to resign. My name had become a household word, the situation
having received statewide coverage both in newspapers and on television.
. . .
Excerpted from the winter 2007 issue of The
Presidency. To subscribe to the magazine, please call (301) 632-6757,
or order online through ACE’s
bookstore.
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