What does it take to lead with both strategy and soul?

In this moving and powerful episode of Start the Week with Wisdom, host Bridget Burns sits down with Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs for a conversation that redefines leadership in higher education. With a background in business and strategic planning, Jennifer brings a refreshingly different perspective to the chancellorship, one rooted not just in data and efficiency, but in deep compassion and human resilience.

This episode dives into Jennifer’s unconventional path to leadership, the profound personal and professional experiences that shaped her approach, and the vital role of executive coaching in navigating the complexities of higher ed. Jennifer shares the unimaginable weight of leading through campus tragedies, and how leaning into both vulnerability and resilience has become her compass for serving students, faculty, and community.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why nontraditional paths to leadership can be an asset in higher education.

The role executive coaching has played in Jennifer’s 20-year leadership journey.

How to lead through crisis with humanity, courage, and compassion.

The power of interdisciplinary undergraduate experiences in shaping career success.

Why “more curious than convinced” is a leadership mindset for the future.

"Without courage, the wisdom and experiences we have bear no fruit."

Subscribe to Start the Week with Wisdom, share this episode with a colleague, or reflect in your journal: What leadership lessons are you learning right now, and how are you growing through them?

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This week's episode is sponsored by Mainstay, a student retention and engagement tool where you can increase student and staff engagement with the only platform consistently proven to boost engagement, retention, and wellbeing. To learn more about Mainstay, click here.