Interview with Colorado College President L. Song Richardson

Background

Today on the Innovating Together Podcast, we are interviewing President L. Song Richardson. President Richardson is the 14th President of Colorado College. She started in that position in the summer of 2021. Most recently, she was the Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law. During this interview, we addressed leading during COVID, compared her position as dean with her current position as president, and the importance of students having access to higher education and the removal of barriers to success.

Leading during COVID

Bridget asked President Richardson to share what it was like to start as a new leader during COVID in a remote world. President Richardson stated that it has been an opportunity to “hone her skills of communication and just being present.” She shared that it is important to be deliberate in getting to know people. In a digital world, she observed she cannot be as spontaneous as she can in person. Seeing 40 people in little boxes on Zoom, she had to make a more conscious effort to pay attention to who was communicating and who wasn’t and to make sure she engaged with everyone on the call. However, she also noticed Zoom and the chat function made it easier for some people to communicate who might not feel comfortable speaking up in public in a group. “It provides a variety of different ways for people to engage with each other and with me.”

Contrasting positions as President vs. Dean

President Richardson reflected on the enormity of being the final decision maker as president, whereas when she was dean, there was a chancellor to address the most important decisions. She finds that the enormity of being president is humbling. She was surprised that her career path in law led her to become the president of a college, but said that she is guided by those times when her values and beliefs intersect with a wonderful opportunity. The Colorado College presidency was a match with her values.

Access and removing barriers to success

Bringing people of a broad range of backgrounds and experiences in and creating an environment where they can be successful is essential to President Richardson.

The cost of higher ed is a top challenge. “If I could wave a magic wand, I would make tuition free for all students. But even with free tuition, it does not mean everyone is set up for success. How do we encourage those courageous conversations?” In addition, she tries to create a healthy culture where people acknowledge failure, learn from it, and apply that growth toward innovating. She is open and vulnerable with her team about changing decisions she has made that were not good decisions. She also likes to ask her senior leaders to share mistakes that they have made and what they learned from them. Modeling that is especially important for students, she said. “How do we encourage resilience and grit and being comfortable with failure?” When people approach her about the challenges and obstacles we are facing today, she feels optimistic because they are invested: They care enough to want solutions.

Advice

“The best advice I like is from Brene’ Brown about ‘being in the arena. Taking the armor off and knowing you are in the arena fighting the good fight, trying to move forward. Don’t be so worried about armoring yourself. True leadership is being vulnerable, showing what that looks like. Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s OK.’ ”

She said self-reflection, and self-leadership, are more important than criticizing others.

“Ask yourself, are you leading yourself the way you want others to lead?”