One author’s “knowledge of leadership issues and
realities” provided her with the much needed strength to
move forward during difficult times. She recalled how
she felt during a period of conflict with her dean, noting,
“My idea of how to do the best job possible was at odds
with that of the dean.” She described her feelings at the
time, saying, “I had not thought this would ever happen.
I had spent my entire career establishing myself as an
authority, capable and self-directed and now it seemed
that I might need to work VERY differently.” While not
easy, she accomplished what was necessary to survive in
her role and make progress. A review of the challenging
periods described by each suggested they were most
likely to occur in times of transition, either to new
institutions or new supervisors, and/or when expectation
gaps existed regarding their roles and those to whom
they reported.