Executive coaching is designed in a way that benefits both the leader and the institution. Therefore, Academic Search believes executive coaching should be approached from a systems perspective and in the context in which the leader is leading.
We believe that leadership is learned through ongoing practice, reflection, action and assessment. Thus, leadership always occurs in a particular context, leads to action, and has an impact to be evaluated.
Leading colleges and universities today is both noble and daunting work. We created our Executive Coaching Practice based on this philosophy so that presidents and senior leaders have professional and qualified leadership companions and guides on the leadership journey. We are committed to the effectiveness, sustainability and well-being of new and incumbent presidents and senior leaders. We believe that both the interiority of leaders and the exterior demands of institutional leadership are complementary.
LEADER-FIRST APPROACH
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
MEET OUR SENIOR EXECUTIVE COACHES
Sharon D. Herzberger
Senior Consultant and Senior Executive Coach
Sharon.Herzberger@academicsearch.org
Dr. Sharon D. Herzberger is an esteemed Senior Consultant and Executive Coach with an admirable history of making an impact on the institutions she serves. As President of Whittier College for 13 years, Dr. Herzberger grew enrollment and transformed the private liberal arts school into a thriving institution that earned accolades as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the nation. With four decades in academia fueled by the desire to expand opportunities to people of all backgrounds, her strengths lie in fostering diversity, increasing enrollment, and understanding the factors that lead to good–and bad–decisions.
Before her presidency, Dr. Herzberger was a psychology professor at Northwestern University for five years and at Trinity College for 25 years. She performed extensive research in social psychology and authored numerous scholarly articles and two books. Much of her research focused on biases in individual and group decision-making, giving her a breadth of knowledge that is proving useful in the consulting realm. In addition to teaching, Dr. Herzberger was Trinity’s Special Assistant to the President for Affirmative Action, Associate Vice President for the college’s campaign, Vice President for Student Services, and Vice President for Institutional Planning and Administration.
In 2000, Dr. Herzberger founded the Consortium on High Achievement and Success (CHAS) to reshape institutional practices and promote equitable outcomes among students of all backgrounds. She established a network of like-minded colleagues focused on improving the college experience for historically underrepresented populations on predominantly white campuses. CHAS continues to work toward this objective and includes 18 member schools.
Dr. Herzberger has mentored countless administrators throughout her career as they transitioned to new posts. She continues this work through Rutgers University’s Center for Minority Serving Institutions and provides executive coaching services through Academic Search. She is deeply passionate about cultivating opportunities for personal growth and leadership. She is attentive and inquisitive, and she has the proficiency to help colleges and universities make the strategic decisions necessary to improve outcomes.
Dr. Herzberger has held leadership positions in many national and state organizations. She chaired the NCAA Division III President’s Council and was an NCAA’s Executive Board member. She also served on the boards of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), the Annapolis Group, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Herzberger earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Penn State University and her master’s and doctorate in psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
EXECUTIVE COACHING OFFERINGS
Whether a seasoned president or new to an executive role, our Executive Coaching Process is designed to customize and optimize your experience to advance your leadership and institutional goals.
We offer executive coaching to individual seasoned leaders, individual new or transitioning leaders, and cabinet and senior leadership teams, as well as assessment debriefs.
To learn more, please fill out our form to contact our Practice Leader.
“I absolutely believe that people, unless coached, never reach their maximum capabilities.”
“Coaches are your external eyes and ears, providing a more accurate picture of your reality. So, “It’s not just how good you are now, it’s how good you’re going to be that really matters.”
“A sense of purpose provides an ongoing capacity to generate possibilities… and to find the values that make risk-taking meaningful.”
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Phone: 202-332-4049
Fax: 202-234- 7640
