[Leadership Series] Avoid Being Sucked Into A Leadership Vacuum

In this final episode of the Leadership Series, I define what a leadership vacuum is and explain why so many mid-career academics—especially those in middle-management roles—get pulled into these gaps. Whether you’re a department chair, PI, or program director, it’s easy to start taking on responsibilities that aren’t technically yours, particularly when leadership above you is weak or absent. I share how to recognize the vacuum, why scholars are especially vulnerable to it, and, most importantly, how to set boundaries that preserve your energy, time, and mission-driven focus.

If you’ve ever felt overextended in your academic role, this episode is for you. Learn how to define your position and hold your boundaries with clarity and confidence.

What Is a Leadership Vacuum (and Who Gets Pulled In)?

I define a “leadership vacuum” as the gap created when individuals in administrative roles fail to lead effectively due to lack of vision, poor communication, or disengagement. In these situations, people in academic middle management—like PIs, department chairs, or program directors—often get pulled in to compensate. Why? Because you care. You’re capable. And you’re used to getting things done. But that doesn’t mean you should keep absorbing responsibilities that aren’t yours.

Understanding (and Defining) Your Role

To avoid getting sucked in, you need clarity on what your job is—and what it isn’t. I share a reflection activity called “My Job / Not My Job” that helps you distinguish between your actual responsibilities and the expectations others have (or assume) about your role. Getting clear about this lets you proactively shape the scope of your leadership rather than constantly reacting to others’ asks.

Why Boundaries Are Essential to Effective Leadership

Good leaders don’t say yes to everything. They make intentional decisions based on mission, values, and capacity. I talk about why firm boundaries are not only necessary to protect your time but are also a mark of excellent leadership. By defining your role and holding the line, you lead in a way that is sustainable, strategic, and aligned with your long-term goals.

“There’s a lack of leadership above you and because of that, very competent leaders who are not in those roles, get sucked into taking on the actual responsibilities of those admin roles that are filled by poor leaders. The person at the top is creating the leadership vacuum. They lack vision, they lack a deep understanding of how the organization works. They might lack the communication skills to get the things that they need from the people in their organization and in general, they are just not doing a fantastic job with the everyday work of what it really means to lead an organization.”

“Good leadership is mission based, it’s aligned and rooted in values. Keeping all of that really front of mind is going to help you not get sucked into a leadership vacuum.”

We’ve opened the waitlist for our next cohort of Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap®. Check out the program details and get on the waitlist here.

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION:

1. Our 12-week Navigate: Your Writing Roadmap® program helps tenure-track womxn and nonbinary professors to publish their backlog of papers so that their voice can have the impact they know is possible. Get on the waitlist here!
2. Cathy’s book, Making Time to Write: How to Resist the Patriarchy and Take Control of Your Academic Career Through Writing is available in print! Learn how to build your career around your writing practice while shattering the myths of writing every day, accountability, and motivation, doing mindset work that’s going to reshape your writing,and changing academic culture one womxn and nonbinary professor at a time. Get your print copy today or order it for a friend here!
3. If you would like to hear more from Cathy for free, please subscribe to the weekly newsletter, In the Pipeline, at scholarsvoice.org. It’s a newsletter that she personally writes that goes out once a week with writing and publication tips, strategies, inspiration, book reviews and more.

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