e098 Strategic Leadership in Higher Education with UWF's Dr. Martha Saunders

“Inspiring leadership isn’t about being perfect, it’s about making sure that what you do matters”

Being strategic is important, however, strategically leading an entire organization requires great forethought, strong intentions, great communication, some humility and outstanding leadership. On this episode we speak with Martha Saunders who is leading the University in West Florida to some lofty goals. 

“We’re not the oldest university, not the largest and not the richest, but we can turn on a dime!”

Martha Saunders is the sixth President of the University of West Florida. In her 30-plus years in higher education, she has served as in academic and leadership roles at universities in Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin and Mississippi. She has led the University of West Florida to its status as a top-performing public universities with the third-highest score in the Florida Board of Governors performance metrics. She established the UWF Innovation Institute, Center
for Cybersecurity and the Office of Equity and Diversity. 

“We are a spirited community of learners, launching the next generation of big thinkers who will change the world”

Dr. Saunders’ vision for UWF is for it to grow beyond its beginnings as a regional comprehensive university and be seen as a leader in innovation and cutting- edge academic programs. She plans to build on the University’s strengths and its undergraduate traditions while creating programs that will attract the faculty and research funding needed to make the leap to the next level.  

“We are not about bigger, we are about better. I want us to be the next big thing"

Under the strategic leadership of Dr. Saunders, the University of West Florida has become the buzz of the Post-Secondary Education world.  The perspectives that Dr. Saunders shares are fundamentally important for any organizational leader. Tune in now to become even more strategic and don't forget to share this episode with someone you care about.
 
LINKS
Dr. Martha Saunders on LinkedIn 
Dr. Martha Aunders on Twitter 
Dr. Martha Saunders’ Email 
University of West Florida