Early-Career Playbook: Strengthening Relationships and Agility to Lead Through Change

In the past four articles, I've explored some of the most important building blocks for early-career professionals in higher education: communication as the skill that drives everything; project management as a force multiplier for leadership potential; and three power skills—business acumen, change leadership, and data-informed decision-making. Together, these skills form the foundation for your professional effectiveness, enhance your value, and help you stand out in the higher education marketplace.

But as you advance in your career, another dimension becomes critical: the ability to build meaningful networks and lead through change with resilience. Leadership never happens in isolation—it grows out of the relationships you nurture and your capacity to adapt when challenges arise. This article ties those elements together, showing how early-career professionals can strengthen connections and develop the agility needed to navigate change effectively.

The Connection Between Relationships and Leadership Success

Career growth in higher education is rarely a solo journey. The work environment is inherently complex, and success often depends on the contributions of units you don't directly manage or oversee. Whether you're launching a project, implementing new technology, or advancing a student success initiative, progress requires buy-in across departments, especially when it involves change. Effective leaders know how to bring cross-functional teams together by clarifying shared goals, articulating value propositions, and showing how the teams' work aligns with institutional priorities. The most successful early-career professionals understand that influence is built through relationships, not authority, and that collaboration drives progress. Your network is not just a set of contacts; it's an ecosystem of support, learning, and opportunity. Here are some ways you can build your network through meaningful relationships:

• Seek sponsors: While mentors offer guidance, sponsors actively advocate for you—especially in times of change when new initiatives, roles, or projects are taking shape. Sponsors can advocate for you, highlight your contributions, and help position you as someone who is ready to lead during times of change.
  • Action: Identify a leader who has influence in cross-unit projects and demonstrate how your work supports change efforts, so they see you as someone worth supporting when opportunities arise.^Footnote1
• Build cross-functional partnerships: Progress in higher education depends on collaboration across traditionally siloed units such as IT, academic affairs, and student success.
  • Action: Schedule regular check-ins with colleagues in other units to learn about their priorities and explore ways your work can support their goals.
• Clarify value propositions: Other units need to see how your work supports their success and the broader institutional mission.
  • Action: Practice framing your projects in terms of shared benefits—such as improved student outcomes, increased efficiency, or stronger strategic alignment—so colleagues see the win-win.

Adaptive Leadership as a Professional Differentiator

If networks are the "who" behind leadership success, adaptive leadership is the "how." Higher education is in the midst of rapid change—driven by advancing technology, shifting funding models, changing demographics, and evolving student needs.

Adaptability is more than a mindset—it's demonstrated through daily behaviors that keep projects and people moving forward when conditions change. Practicing agility in visible ways not only helps you manage challenges in the moment, but it also signals to senior leaders that you're ready for greater responsibility and shows colleagues that you can be trusted to guide a team through change. Here are some ways you can put this into practice:

• Reframe setbacks as opportunities: When a project is delayed due to funding cuts, position it as a chance to streamline priorities, pilot a smaller version, or demonstrate early wins that build momentum. After challenges, reflect: What can I learn from this experience? What might I do differently next time? Try keeping a journal or debriefing with a colleague or mentor to build a habit that helps you reset after setbacks.
• Shift communication styles: Adjust how you present ideas depending on your audience—using data and ROI language for administrators and focusing on student outcomes or teaching benefits when working with faculty.
• Pilot before scaling: Instead of pushing a tool or process for a campus-wide rollout, pilot it with one department to gauge its effectiveness and gather feedback. Use the input to refine your approach, identify champions, and adapt before expanding more broadly.
• Stay curious and scan the environment: Continuously monitor trends, tools, and practices outside your immediate role to bring in fresh solutions when old approaches no longer work. NOTE: Refer to the advice above regarding external networks.
• Model flexibility for others: When plans change, acknowledge the disruption but also demonstrate calm persistence, signaling that change is manageable and progress is still possible.

For early-career leaders, these behaviors demonstrate both competence and credibility. They show colleagues that you can adapt to the unexpected while keeping the larger mission in view.

How Networks Strengthen Resilience

The most resilient leaders rarely rely solely on inner strength. They draw energy, ideas, and perspectives from their connections. Networks provide the scaffolding that helps leaders recover, adapt, and move forward stronger.

• Mentors provide perspective: When setbacks feel overwhelming, mentors help reframe challenges as growth opportunities.
  • Action: Identify at least one mentor you can call when things go off track, and schedule regular check-ins to keep the relationship active. This mentor could be someone outside your team and even outside your institution.
• Peers serve as allies: Trusted colleagues can share encouragement and strategies that worked for them in similar situations—especially when they come from institutions of similar size and mission or are working on comparable projects. These peers can offer practical, context-specific advice that feels immediately applicable.
  • Action: Build a small circle of peers or join a community group that understands your environment and can provide both empathy and tested solutions.
• Cross-campus relationships accelerate solutions: Established connections across departments allow you to resolve issues faster, reduce friction, and gain candid advice and support that's grounded in the unique context of your institution.
  • Action: Invest time in understanding the priorities of units outside your own, so when challenges arise, you're not starting from scratch. Remember to approach networking as a relationship-building activity, not as a series of transactional exchanges.
• Share your insights to build your brand: Every success, lesson learned, and mistake adds to your professional reputation. Publicly reflecting on these experiences reinforces your credibility and positions you as a trusted contributor to the field.
  • Action: Post takeaways on LinkedIn or submit a short EDUCAUSE Review article to showcase your work, share lessons, and signal that you're a reflective leader others can learn from.
• Network intentionally, in-person, and virtually: Connections grow when you make time to engage in professional spaces, whether face-to-face or online.
  • Action: At conferences, attend Braindates, discussion sessions, or social events, and don't hesitate to introduce yourself to speakers or peers. During online events or engagements, post comments on LinkedIn, or set up short "coffee chats" over Zoom to deepen relationships beyond a single interaction.

Building and maintaining professional relationships is not just about advancement—it's about creating a support system that sustains you through uncertainty.

Use your network as a sounding board when navigating change. Share lessons learned with peers; teaching others not only strengthens your own adaptive capacity but also builds collective momentum. Resilience grows when you are supported by others—and when you contribute to their success in return.

Your Professional Path

As this series comes to a close, the essentials of early-career leadership are coming into focus. Communication, project management, and power skills—such as change leadership, data-informed decision-making, business acumen, and cost management—form the foundation. The ability to connect those skills to other people by cultivating strong relationships, earning buy-in across the institution, and leading with agility through change sustains long-term success.

You don't have to face challenges alone, and you don't need to have every answer from the start. By building networks and practicing adaptability, you will position yourself to thrive and help shape the complex higher education landscape. The leaders who succeed tomorrow will be those who stay connected, remain agile, and keep moving forward—together. Visit the Young and Early-Career Professionals Hub to find events, training opportunities, career planning tools, helpful resources, and ways to connect with others—all designed to support your professional growth.

One powerful way to sharpen these skills is through volunteering. Whether by mentoring, contributing to working groups, or leading community initiatives, volunteering allows you to practice communication, project management, and other power skills in real-world contexts while expanding your professional network. Explore the EDUCAUSE Professional Pathways. Each pathway outlines actionable steps—including volunteering opportunities designed for every professional level. These pathways provide a roadmap to deepen your skills, grow your impact, and advance your career as a leader in higher education.

Notes

1. If you are interested in developing your change management skills, check out the EDUCAUSE Prosci Change Management Programs or explore our selection of change management Learning Labs. Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.↩

Veronica Diaz is Senior Director, Professional Learning and Development at EDUCAUSE.