In this episode of the Leadership Lab series, Susanna Kempe, CEO of the Laidlaw Foundation, speaks with Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, about her leadership journey, the rich and uniquely complex nature of Cambridge University, and the transformative power of leading with questions.
Appointed as Vice-Chancellor in 2023, Prentice brought vast expertise from Princeton University, where she served as Dean of Faculty and later as Provost. Prentice’s academic background is extensive: she holds a Bachelor of Arts in human biology and music and M.S., M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in psychology. Her trailblazing work on pluralistic ignorance applied to college alcohol use is a foundation of numerous campus alcohol education and bystander intervention programmes.
Reflecting on her journey, Prentice underlined the critical importance of curiosity in leadership. She shared, “I’m still asking questions. I don’t think I’ll ever stop asking questions…It’s grounded in a view of how you lead, how you produce change in organisations like this…you’ve got to start with questions, always.” By actively listening and remaining flexible, she aligns leadership with the needs of the community she serves, embodying the Oxford Character Project Leadership Virtue of Collaboration.
Professor Prentice also reflected on Cambridge’s unique complexity and richness, picturing the University as a vast and multifaceted building: “You can enter Cambridge through many, many different doors…there’s a sense of unlimited possibility.” As Vice-Chancellor, she continually strives to foster a vibrant, lively environment to learn, discover and create knowledge.
A key takeaway from her leadership philosophy is the importance of enabling others. Reflecting on the leaders she has known and witnessed in action, she asserts, “If you’re telling everybody what to do, you’re defining the ceiling, as opposed to the ability to enable others and bring them together in subtle and implicit ways.” This underscores the importance of facilitating connection over a directive approach.
This episode with Deborah Prentice offers profound insights into the importance of asking questions and being curious about the people you serve as a leader. It gives valuable insights to those aspiring to lead with purpose and openness, creating a lasting impact in a complex world.
*Note: one of the final questions asked by Susanna is from an upcoming Leadership lab episode featuring Fabio Piano, Vice-Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi.
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00:22 We talk a lot with our scholars about leadership being a journey, not a destination. Where did it all begin for you?
02:27 You spent 30 years at Princeton. How have you found moving to Cambridge and what are the biggest differences between US and UK universities?
05:31 Can you talk about any of the biggest revelations or lessons that you had either living in France or now living in the UK?
07:18 Are there any tough problems you think your American colleagues might view differently than you do from here?
10:50 What do you think are the pros and cons of the complexity and richness of a university like Cambridge?
15:30 We’ve just held our two annual scholars' conferences. The theme was curiosity, and I was really struck that you spent your first few months asking questions. Why did you do that?
17:36 Were there any dreams you heard at Cambridge that surprised you?
20:26 Do you think that most people are aware of just what an economic contributor Cambridge is?
22:06 What are you hoping the government would do now that they recognise the importance of the university sector?
23:14 How do you balance the need to conform to and celebrate traditions in an institution that has been around for so long while ensuring that the university is fit for the future?
25:05 One of the first things you introduced were the Vice-Chancellor’s dialogues to create a forum for difficult subjects. Can you talk more about the motivation to do that and how they’re going?
28:28 There’s a lot of discussion about the glass cliff and women being appointed to roles in moments of crisis. What do you think about that?
29:45 - A year ago, I spoke to Linda Doyle, the Provost of Trinity College Dublin, about the fact that we thought academia might have moved ahead of the corporate world in having more women leaders. Fast forward a year and four amazing Ivy League presidents have now stepped down, three replaced by white men. Is this a blip, or have we just taken a major step backwards?
32:09 You’ve obviously met a lot of world leaders. Can you talk about any who you particularly admire and why? What are the leadership traits of those whom you most admire?
39:22 What would be the most important part of how you build the next version of higher education that helps the world?
41:25 What brings you the most joy?
41:49 What would you like to ask the next Vice-Chancellor?