Chapter 7: First-Time Virtual Leaders’ Approaches During Disruptions: Reflections from First-Line Leaders in a South African Higher Education Institution

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about unprecedented challenges in higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide, necessitating rapid adaptations in leadership approaches to navigate the complexities of remote work and virtual team management. Undoubtedly, institutions’ experiences and adaptations have differed and are often linked to their prevailing leadership strategies. This chapter explores and describes the virtual leadership approaches employed by first-line leaders at a South African HEI in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using an inductive qualitative research approach, 13 participants from the institution, including academic leaders and directors of professional services, were purposively sampled and interviewed. The interviews, conducted via Zoom, were transcribed and data were analysed using NVivo software to identify codes and themes. The findings reveal that participants predominantly exhibited participatory and collaborative leadership styles before the pandemic, which were also adopted during the pandemic. Some adjustments that were made as virtual leaders include leaders being more involved, distributive, and intentional in their approaches. Attributes such as trust, empathy, and effective communication emerged as prominent among the leaders, while other attributes such as honesty, being a change agent, leading by example, patience, and time management were noted less frequently. Behaviours exhibited by leaders during the pandemic included consultation with subordinates, intentional inclusion, leveraging collective strengths, valuing team members, and demonstrating self-confidence. This chapter contributes valuable insights into the adaptive leadership strategies employed by first-line leaders in higher education settings during times of crisis, and highlights the importance of trust, empathy, and effective communication in fostering resilience and organisational success amidst unprecedented challenges.