Many Boards of Trustees consist primarily of alumi/ae who deeply love and financially support their alma maters which provided a foundation for their subsequent success in a variety of industries and entreprenuerial and civic endeavors. Higher education is, however, a very unique industry, especially relative to faculty and shared governance systems with high levels of institutional politics. Higher education is also experiencing extreme volatility as the societal, economic, and political environments in which it operates change in unpredecented ways.

Higher education is also undergoing massive changes as it adopts to operating in a post-COVID world where federal oversight and support of higher education are being rethought. This turbulence requires that institutions respond and adapt in ways which might not preserve certain traditions and other things Trustees cherish but without having to relinquish an institution's identity. Change and adapatation for higher education institutions is nolonger an option.

Similarly, President’s Cabinets and Executive Teams can function in a myopic way, particularly if Cabinet members have been at the institution for a long period of time and/or not worked at other institutions. More so, the delivery of most strategic deliverables falls under the direct responsibility of (at least) one Cabinet member. In order to "save face” and keep cabinet members working well together as a team, important, objective discussions about unmet goals and/or strategically unaligned performance of operating areas are often side-stepped. Maintaining a strong executive team and supportive organization culture can thwart efforts to identity and take action on problem areas when simply discussed internally without guidance and support.