Running head: LEADERSHIP AND DISTANCE EDUCATION

Leadership and Distance Education

Kay L. Venteicher
University of Maryland University College
August 3, 2015

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Leadership and Distance Education
The field of Distance Education (DE) is a dynamic environment. The affects to DE are
generated from the continuous changing economic conditions within education institutions.
Impacts to DE also include growing with technology advances and innovations during the past
three decades, increasing requirements for knowledge areas of instruction, and a growing student
base with demographics that span primary and secondary education and continues into higher
education (Tuncay & Uzunboylu, 2010, pp. 64-65, Wallace, 1996, para 19-23.). These trend
examples from the past three decades within the DE communities highlight why a DE
organization will require a leader who recognizes how the globalized economy currently does
and will continue to affect the DE environment and more importantly the organization that they
lead. The current state of change within the DE environment will necessitate a leader who not
only is knowledgeable as an education leader but one who can be a leader for innovation and
organizational change.
The first section of this paper identifies attributes and skills the DE leader must possess to
be a truly successful leader. A DE leader should possess the ability to: (a) effectively
communicate; (b) be visionary; (c) be motivational; (d) possess self-awareness/lead by example;
and (e) envision the effective use of technology. The second section delves into current critical
areas within the changing DE environment that DE leaders must be able to navigate and guide
through to successfully position their organization for future accomplishments. Areas
highlighted in this paper include: (a) DE quality concerns; (b) innovation and resources; and (c)
cultural and global concerns.

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Attributes of an Effective DE Leader - Part 1 Overview
The digital age has introduced dramatic change to the DE environment with the
introduction of Internet technology and its successful integration into higher education.
Academia can no longer afford to be viewed as a slow-moving entity with dual-mode
bureaucratic tendencies. DE has become highly competitive within the global market that
requires a strong leader who has the skills and abilities to guide an organization through change
and transformation with new challenges of the digital age and market (Kotter, 2012, pp. 15-16).
The following attributes and skills will assist the successful DE leader in this mission.
Effective Communications
Effective communications is one of the most important elements in both leadership, as
well as followership. The complex communications process requires the successful DE leader to
ensure the conveyed message provides an established mutual understanding with both the leader
and the follower (Allen, 2012a, slides 12-13). They must be able to create a supportive
communication climate that will reach people through a variety of communications methods in
both the face-to-face and DE environment (Allen, 2012b, slides 3-7). Ebersole (2015) provides
that communications is a key factor in putting leadership and management practices into place.
Used often in the DE environment, participatory leadership/management provides followers with
power or the feeling of power. This creates a work environment based on flexibility and freedom
where professional development of followers benefits with a shift from procedures to results
(Kanter, 1979, p. 222)
Without excellent communication skills, how would a DE leader be effective? They must
be able to speak with through one-on-one chats/discussions and telephone communications. Inperson communications are often impossible in the DE environment; technology solutions for

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communications can include emails, discussion forums, podcast recordings, audio and/or video
communications in either the asynchronous and/or synchronous mode. This type of
communication requires the DE leader to have a level of familiarization with technology
communication tools to effectively communicate with followers and appear composed. The
different forms of communication methods all require the leader to have sufficient practice to be
effective (Venable, 2011, para. 9-18).
Be Visionary
Conger (2010) and Yukl (2013) provide that charismatic leaders have the skills to create
an organizations goal or vision through critical and comprehensive assessment of the
environment that garner follower support by the leaders expertise and demonstration of
trustworthiness. Techniques that a leader must embrace to support change and development of a
goal or vision, Kanter (2000) offers that the leader must be in step with the organizations
environment, capable of questioning the organizational wisdom, building organizational
coalitions, and creating/transferring ownership to the coalition members of the vision and goal.
Westley and Mintzbergs (1989) break out of visionary leadership into a model based on
drama with repetition of an idea that is transformed with a communicated representation to
become vision. By communicating this to the follower and creating an environment of
empowerment, the leader gives the follower the power to create action or change. The visionary
leader executes actions with confidence. They embrace their own self-creation, being a delegator
and an innovator, creating learning opportunities, and focus on actions, not words (All Business,
2015, para. 3-11). Ebersole (2015) views visionary leaders as those who are skilled change
leaders who can communicate a clear vision and can facilitate the goal/vision accomplishment;
this type of leader will naturally attract followers who can relate/respond to goal/vision.

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Motivational Skills
While Herzberg (1987) provides for both positive and negative motivation, Ebersole
(2015) prefers positive encouragement and motivation techniques to demonstrate the associated
benefits of change. Ebersole (2015) gives as a motivational example the recognition of a faculty
member for an achievement that demonstrated growth/advancement in responsibility and work
that follows Herzbergs positive motivation (p. 113). Given the ever-changing DE environment,
the need for a manager to both maximize resources and know what motivates them is critical
(Stanley, 2012, p. 21).
Malhotra, Majchrzak, and Rosens (2007) explanation that a leader must be
knowledgeable as well as understanding of motivation techniques to create greater commitment
of the follower to the mission or goal/vision emphasize this. Authentic transformational leaders
can provide direction and inspirational motivation for followers to go in new directions and
achieve greater outcomes. The leader demonstrates high ethical and moral standards, accepts
taking risks, and sets the example of doing the right thing. The leader facilitates the follower
by providing meaning and challenge to (Bass & Riggio, 2006, p. 78) the work accomplished.
Self-awareness / Leading by Example
To support and accept the risk as previously discussed in motivational skills of a leader,
Ebersole (2015) explains that the DE leader must first have the established credentials and
training that enable them to become a successful leader. This success requires the leader to know
their strengths and weaknesses, and continue to pursue education and training to improve and
grow as their DE role changes (Ebersole, 2015). This level of self-reflection and awareness
provides the leader with the solid understanding of oneself. It defines the leaders selfconfidence and gives understanding to what the leader can accomplish.

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Ebersole (2015) explains that his decisiveness and bias for action (2015) caused the
occasional second-look by followers. His personal self-awareness as with many DE leaders
creates an understanding of the leaders personal values and goals. This allows a leader to lead
by example with self-confidence as Kotter (2012) explains that the leader must walk the talk
(p. 95) to guide followers through personal demonstration that while the goal/vision may be
difficult to attain, all members must be willing to sacrifice to achieve the goal/vision. Ebersole
(2015) notes that a leader who demonstrates leading by example also shows character and
credibility through being able to talk the talk and walk the talk: he provides that the leader must
find a way to actively stay in touch with all followers (i.e., students, parents, stakeholders, and
employees.
To lead by example, there are times when the DE leader must assist others into looking
into their own self-awareness. This can assist in decision- making and problem solving
endeavors when working towards a goal/vision. By cultivating this skill within the followers, the
leader creates a means to facilitate change by empowering those who can envision the leader as a
follower in cases when using participative management. The DE leader must be able to accept
diverse perspectives and solutions that differ from their own proposed course of action and in
essence become the follower to support a common good. This promotes the self-awareness and
lead by example within the leader and the followers to attain the goal/vision through supporting
change. Disagreements on how to get to the goal/vision can be set aside and a common solution
developed.

Technology

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Three forces drive organizational change according to Kanter (2000). Those forces are
globalization, information technology, and industry consolidation (p. 34), with DE institutions
open to a barrage of new technology as globalization expands the borders beyond the previous
geographic boundaries with new developing competitive markets. DE organizations will find
greater access to partnerships, joint ventures, and strategic alliances (p. 34) that will open the
door to opportunities with innovation advances. This will require the DE leader and the
organization to embrace an environment that can be fluid, inclusive, and responsive (p. 34) to
change. This is a special area of interest to Ebersole who along with this approach to move time
around (2015) feels that this must be coupled with quality to ensure benefits to both the
organization and those the technology supports (i.e., student, parent, stakeholder, and
organization employees).
DE Crucial Issues / Challenges - Part 2 Overview
The digital age has brought a diverse agenda of trends crucial to a DE leaders ability to
address and manage in their organization. These trends cover the positive and negative
challenges that include politics, developments, events, and pressures that demand the attention
and action of the DE leader. The following are three such crucial issues that can keep a DE
leader awake at night.
DE Quality
Quality concerns in DE have plagued DE with views of being a second-class learning
environment. Ebersole (2015) noted that this had been the topic of many off-hand remarks of
how he could pursue a professional career in DE. With a public opinion that DE is of no
significant value to the academic community, the road to change the image of DE has been an
upward struggle. Problems represented in DE quality include: (a) instruction quality; (b)

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technology and how it is implemented; (c) hidden cost for both the learner and organization; and
(d) attitudes of the students, instructors, and administrators (Valentine, 2002, para. 7). This
requires both a change in academic culture whose insular nature creates an environment of nonsupport when leadership is promoting a collaborative endeavor between face-to-face education
and DE. Inevitably, the economics of education will dictate a merge of the two to complement
the organization and support the quality of both education forms for all stakeholders (i.e.,
students, parents, organization employees) (Olcott, Hanna, & Johnson, 2005, pp. 1-2). Ebersole
(2015) predicts that DE organizations that forego quality will determine its own organizational
demise.
Innovation and Resources
Kanters (2000) second force that drives organizational change, information technology,
can also set a DE organization apart. The DE leader must accept a level of risk when addressing
the imagination of innovation (p. 35) to go beyond the current operations and build a new
strategic DE vision. Embracing innovation and technology brings with it other concerns. Those
challenges include allocating resources that include funding, people, and tangible logistical
support (i.e., building/facility space, materials, supplies). While the DE environment allows the
student to move time around (Ebersole, 2015) this is not always the case with resources.
Funding shortages may push out deadlines established for technology implementation or even
push administrators and instructors past the desirable limits of staff workloads - being able to
produce a quality DE product, whether instructional materials or a new DE course. This may be
exacerbated with further concerns of support and development of staff, promotion/tenure, and
resistance to innovation/technology changes.
Cultural and Global Concern

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The DE field caters to a diverse audience, which most gaining access to the DE
environment through the Internet and social media. This global DE audience is made up of
instructors, students, and organizational support staff who come from various cultural, social,
economic, and political backgrounds. This level of potential diversity coupled with geographical
and possible time zone separation add to the additional areas of consideration. With diversity
comes a volume of levels of experience, interests, needs, and strengths and weaknesses for all of
the DE audience. The DE leader must develop a staff with explicit expertise (Malhotra,
Majchrzak, & Rosen, 2007, p. 63) which can support the diversity of the DE audience. This will
require DE courses and materials to be designed/supported with technology that demonstrates the
flexibility for ease of adaption and deliverable modes creating a sustainable DE environment
that can change as necessary. This should be the culture that the DE leader promotes
supporting social and political changes and norms.
Conclusion
Individuals who enter DE must go forward in higher education with the intent of
becoming a leader. The change experienced within DE lends itself to an environment of change
with opportunity for the follower to fill the role of the leader with a sudden change. The crucial
issues and challenges addressed provide justification for all within DE to embrace and pursue
education and training to both improve and grow as their DE role changes and acquire the
credentials and training that enable them to become a successful leader who can guide innovation
and organizational change.
The unique attributes and skills will assist the DE leader in overcoming the crucial issues
and challenges of DE quality concerns, innovations and resources, and cultural and global
concerns. The DE leader will have the technical skills required in the DE environment. In

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addition, the leader will have the skills and attributes of effective communication, create a vision,
and motivating followers. They will also possess self-awareness and an ability to lead by
example. Finally, they will have an understanding of the driving force of technology on the DE
environment. While the skills and attributes of the DE leader will be instrument in the
management of the challenges, continuous learning must be the mantra of the DE leader to stay
abreast of the changing DE environment. Aligning leadership to lifetime learning goals will
serve the DE leader in the endeavor for success of a sustainable DE environment.

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