Transformational Leadership and Philanthropy: The Importance of Leadership Over Consultants

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Seven
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership and Equity at the Intersection of Philanthropy and Education (Table 8)

Abstract

We present a case study that highlights the importance of ambitious institutional leadership over cautious, generally accepted approaches to initiating a development campaign. Specifically, we examine the case of Chancellor Renu Khator at University of Houston. Khator’s tenure leading the university began with serious financial challenges stemming from the 2008 Great Recession, but one of her defining achievements was successfully completing the “Here, We Go” $1 billion campaign and its “Beyond the Billion” extension. Through qualitative interviews and analysis of primary and secondary documents, we show how Khator’s transformational leadership style inspired and sustained its development efforts.

Authors

• Yali Zou, University of Houston
  Presenting Author

• Hilary Coulson, The University of Mississippi
  Presenting Author

• Frank Fernandez, University of Florida
  Presenting Author