From studying leaders to finding one

Donald Kettl is about to embark on a challenging game of hide-and-seek.

Less than two weeks ago, Kettl was tapped to lead a 19-member committee to select university President Dan Mote's successor. He'll seek candidates from across the nation, but as Kettl attempts to shield his committee's secret proceedings, he'll have plenty of hiding to do too.

It's a tall task for a man who has worked at the university for a mere nine months, but Kettl, the dean of the School of Public Policy, has tackled similar tasks before.

While teaching at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Kettl chaired the state's Blue Ribbon Commission on State-Local Partnerships for the 21st Century. And as a political science professor who has taught at universities ranging from Columbia University to the University of Virginia in his 32 years in academia, Kettl has spent his life studying leadership.

He said his assorted past experience will be an asset as he seeks to select the university's next president.

"I have the advantage of being an insider and an outsider," he said. "I've been here long enough to really know my way around, but at the same time, I come from many different universities."

The presidential search committee began its work last week at a preliminary meeting to create a specific job description for the next president while drawing a preliminary list of potential candidates.

Kettl said the bulk of the search process will entail getting a sense of what the community wants in a president through forums and websites. He said he intends to stay open to these ideas but adds that he also has his own concept of the perfect candidate.

"The next president has to be a cheerleader and make people proud to be a part of the university," he said. "If you leave out the walking-on-water part, it's a pretty simple job."
Furthermore, Kettl said, the next president will need to be able to cope with the state's financial woes while maintaining the university's vibrant culture.

"It could be that the very best leader has something I've never thought of," he said. "But at the same time, there are specific challenges we face. The state fiscal situation isn't going to get significantly better any time soon. This is a lively campus that's knowledgeable about big issues and challenges crossing the boundaries of different disciplines. The next president needs to facilitate that and keep it strong."

University officials offered similar explanations on why Kettl was selected.

University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan had said Kettl would represent the university well because he is highly regarded and has a gracious manner that would make a good impression on possible candidates.

William Powers, the public policy school's executive dean who serves as Kettl's adviser, agreed with Kirwan's assessment. Powers described Kettl in an e-mail as "instantly likable and fair," and added that his nationwide regard "will make it easier to attract top candidates."

Kettl, meanwhile, said he believed it was his unique perspective that landed him the job.

"I've had the chance to see academia from a whole bunch of areas, both private and public universities," he said. "I have a different way of looking at the world from different perspectives."

Kettl said he employed these perspectives when he chaired the blue-ribbon commission in Wisconsin on state and local partnerships, which dealt with how state funds should be dispersed.

He said his work received unanimous support from Wisconsin state legislators. Kettl added that the work on that committee has greatly prepared him to chair the search and screening committee.

"We had to look very far into the future," he said. "We tried to envision the state of where we wanted to go. I really learned how important it is to listen to people's recommendations but also to get people excited about the vision."

For Kettl, the highlight of finding Mote's replacement will be the chance to engage in a process that's as enigmatic as it is exciting.

"There's a certain sense of uncertainty of what's going to happen next," he said. "But there's a tremendous sense of energy, direction and movement. There aren't many campuses that can claim that. It will make the search process very exciting."

redding@umdbk.com