Keywords

Introduction

Leading change in distance education has been a major challenge in most sub-Saharan African countries where there is lethargic economic growth, high unemployment rates, resource constraints and ill-health, wars and displacement of people, and governments that are incapable of providing home-grown solutions to their citizens (Odhiambo, 2014; Sawyerr, 2004; Varghese, 2013). As leaders of these institutions were dealing with all these challenges, the Covid-19 pandemic emerged and further pushed most countries to the worst health crisis ever that affected every institution in the world. Almost overnight, education ministries and academic leaders had to make quick decision to pivot to online learning. Virtually every education institution in sub-Saharan Africa struggled with this transition mainly due to the lack of the requisite information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, inadequate expertise for online pedagogies, and inability to provide appropriate devices to their students and staff (Wangenge-Ouma & Kupe, 2020). Transitioning to online environment requires agile systems and structures to support digitalized teaching and learning (Dumulescu & Muţiu, 2021). Leading change of this magnitude require resilient leaders who “have the ability to recover, learn from and grow stronger in the face of adversity” (Reed, 2018; p.127).

Although these changes were taking place in higher education institutions throughout the world, they were exacerbated in places of limited resources such as sub-Saharan Africa. The need for change in the higher education sector of sub-Saharan countries have been on the horizon for a long time. In fact, some of the changes were mooted shortly after independence of many countries in the 1960s. The postcolonial policies identified distance education mode of delivery as the viable option to widen participation in higher education (Makoe, 2018; Mukama, 2016). Regardless of the clear vision provided by policies, there are only six publicly funded distance education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa. For decades, the University of South Africa was the first and only higher education institution to deliver programs through distance mode. It took about 50 years before the establishment of the second open and distance education institution in Africa in the 1980s, and since then, there have been four more open and distance universities established.

Part of the reason that education policies failed in the new independent countries was that the vision, aspirational as it might be, was not aligned to the challenges of building the nations after colonial domination. Some higher education leaders lacked capacity to translate policy issues into actions. This is because most academic leaders had limited understanding of their role as custodians of the vision of the institution (Viennet & Pont, 2017). Although leadership is critical for the success of the institution, it is during changes that leaders are expected to communicate a clear vision on how they plan to move the institution forward. The role of vision is to bring people together and give them hope and the sense of the possible (Inayatullah, 2008, 2020; Shipley & Newkirk, 1999).

The focus of this chapter is on distance education leaders who are expected to generate a powerful vector in the direction of change (Todoruț, 2017). Therefore, leadership will not be viewed in relation to the position an individual held, according Odhiambo (2014); instead, it should be seen in terms of how an individual leader respond to change in times of crisis. Unfortunately, there has been very little research in distance education leadership (Beaudoin, 2003, 2016; Marcus, 2004; Nworie, 2012). The few studies that are there tend to focus on the leadership roles and performance in managing the core functions of digitalized distance education (Beaudoin, 2016; Nworie, 2012; Weller & Anderson, 2013). Little is said about the personality traits, that is, behavioral characteristics of an individual who is expected to lead in a changing environment.

Early personality trait researchers assumed that effective leaders exhibit certain types of characteristics that make them stand out from other people (Ghaffari, Shah, Burgoyne, & Aziz, 2017). However, critics of the personality trait theory argue that effective leaders are those that are able to assess the situation and adapt their style to address a specific need (Lawton-Misra & Pretorius, 2021). Unlike the personality trait theory, the humble leadership theory focused on the characteristics of the leaders and how they relate to their subordinates (Ali, Zhang, Shah, Khan, & Shah, 2020). This theory, like servant leadership, places a lot of emphasis on the importance of relationship between the leader and the subordinates, and they view their accomplishments in relation to others. These two theories are embodied in the African principles of Ubuntu that requires strong community interdependence and solidarity among people. In fact, a person who exhibits these traits that are both innate and learnt is often referred to as being human (botho). It is therefore expected that a leader exhibits qualities that place the interest of the community above their own. Other theorists argue that leaders adapt their leadership style based on the situation they encounter (Lawton-Misra & Pretorius, 2021). What seem to be clear in all these theories and approaches is that effective leadership may be influenced by a variety of factors including personality traits, the situation in which the person operates, and the strategies that the leader employs when faced with a crisis (Fernandez & Shaw, 2020; Ghaffari et al., 2017; Lawton-Misra & Pretorius, 2021). However, this chapter will focus on what it takes to be a resilient leader in the transitioning environment.

When Romanian academic leaders were asked about their experiences of managing change during Covid-19, they pointed out that their strong proactive attitude and their risk-taking behavior helped them to navigate the choppy waters of the crisis (Dumulescu & Muţiu, 2021). It seems that the academic leaders who were effective during the crisis were those who exhibited the personality traits of resilient leaders who face problems head on and are willing “to take risks by trying out new things and meet challenges in unconventional ways” (Mrig & Sanaghan, 2017, p.24). Resilient leaders are those who use their individual attitudes, values, and actions that enable them to overcome any hurdles on their way. They have an innate human capacity to demonstrate strength and flexibility to withstand adversity (Couto, 2002). What is needed most in the face of a rapidly changing environment is a resilient leader who “don’t just bounce back from challenges or crises; but bounce forward” (Mrig & Sanaghan, 2017, p. 24).

Institutions thrive when their leadership is enabling, honest, firm, competent, and provides a vision for the future (Ayee, 2014; Odhiambo, 2014). While leaders produce change, “effective leaders produce constructive or adaptive change to help people survive and grow” (Ayee, 2014, p.240). However, it has been difficult for most leaders in many higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa to keep their head above the water in the midst of myriad legacy issues as well as current challenges such as high numbers of young people seeking access to higher education, the growing interest in the use of technologies in education, the lack of competent staff, and, most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. In these types of environment, leaders are called to manage change by creating and conveying a compelling vision in a strategic and ethical manner (Frantz, Lawack, & Rhoda, 2020). Thus, according to Pityana (2017), a leader’s role is more than just the personality of an individual, but is about leading change and motivating employees, working together as a team, and providing a vision for the institution. Since leaders are expected to lead change, “visions of the future are powerful rhetorical devices to promote change in the present to prepare for the future” (Facer & Sandford, 2010, p.77). It is therefore incumbent on the leader to continuously rethink the future of his or her environment in order to manage changes intelligently and effectively (Frantz et al., 2020).

Since a crisis comes unannounced and requires quick response, it is highly unpredictable, and it is often influenced by the history, the trends, as well as opportunities that change presents. This means that leaders should always be on the lookout for trends and opportunities that will assist them to design a vision that gives them a positive sense of direction (Fergnani, 2020; Inayatullah, 2008; Pham, 2006). This should be facilitated by the images of the desired futures, the drivers of change, and the factors that stand in the way of change (Inayatullah, 2008). It is on this basis that the Inayatullah’s (2008) futures triangle was used to guide the process of examining the personality traits of the distance education leader who is likely to remain resilient in the face of the crisis.

The aim of this chapter is to illustrate the academic leader’s personality traits that are useful in managing change in times of crisis. Nothing challenges a person than leading in times of crisis. There are certain personality traits that are critical for surviving the crisis. Some of the traits are biological, some may be learnt from watching people in leadership positions, and some may be developed through formal professional development and incorporated into the leaders’ regular leadership style. Since this chapter is focusing on distance education leaders in sub-Saharan Africa, it is important to look at some traits that may have been learnt and the historical factors that have influenced management and leadership practices and how these have impacted on the character of a leader. It is therefore important to look at the roots of the character formation of the distance education leader in terms of their response to what is taking place currently and how those personality traits will enable them to reach the desired goals. The decisions and actions that leaders take in the present is what shapes the future of their institution (Bell, 1997).

Futures Research Triangle

The mapping method of Inayatullah’s (2008) futures triangle will be used to contextualize and historicize the character of leadership in the changing distance education environment in sub-Saharan Africa. The futures triangle incorporates three dimensions that include the weights of the past, the push of the present, and the pull towards the future as well as the tensions between them (Fergnani, 2020; Inayatullah, 2008; Pham, 2006). The process of visioning the future is meant to “create the vision that pulls the future forward” (Inayatullah, 2008). The weight factors enable leaders to take forward what worked in the past in order to remove obstacles that may stand in the way of change (Fergnani, 2020; Inayatullah, 2008). The push factors refer to the current events that influence our thinking such as the Covid-19 pandemic, economic growth, technologies, and social and political pressures; and the weight factors recognises historical practices that are getting in the way to change. It is therefore important to look at the genealogy of distance education in sub-Saharan Africa and the systems and structures that support it.

Each factor in the corner of a futures triangle is influenced by its own set of trends, drivers, and inhibitors (Inayatullah, 2008; Pham, 2006). Trends are an important part of futures thinking, because “they show ways in which the past and the present give rise to the future by forecasting what might happen if a trend were to continue” (OECD, 2019, p.45). However, trends analysis should not be used as an extension of currently existing trends based on a linear way of thinking (OECD, 2019). Instead, they should be used to gather and arrange information to help leaders to envision what is likely to happen in future and how they should respond to it. These factors are also influenced by the drivers of change which are major societal shifts that directs the way towards the future. Drivers of change identify forces that impact on leadership in distance education. Inhibitors also affect the future in a way in that they can bring the whole process of change to a halt. The process of mapping the future requires clear values that underpin the aspirational vision, and the people involved in the production of the vision and the methods (Bell, 1997; Facer & Sandford, 2010). The futures triangle is used to examine some of the factors that mold the character of a leader, starting from where they are coming from, where they are, and what they become due to changes they encounter.

Weights of the Past

Although distance education leaders’ minds are often clouded by the current trends, their understanding of who they are and the tools that they use tend to limit their possibilities of thinking beyond the present. When faced with managing a crisis, decision makers tend to cling to the legacies of the institution, its successes and practices that have survived over the years (Fergnani, 2020). This past may keep them from trying out new things and taking risks.

One way of understanding how some distance education leaders get to lead the way they do is to look back at the history of education in sub-Saharan Africa. By the end of the nineteenth century, virtually all African countries were colonized, mostly by the British and the French who played a major role in shaping education in 80% of sub-Saharan Africa, a home to 46 out 54 African countries (Ayee, 2014; Sawyerr, 2004; Woldegiorgis & Doevenspeck, 2013). When most countries gained independence in the 1960s, they were faced with a mammoth task of educating large numbers of people who were systematically excluded from education by the colonial powers. In addressing this need, most postcolonial governments developed a number of education policies to guide them as they established higher education institutions in newly independent nations (Makoe, 2018; Teferra & Altbach, 2004). In the absence of education models that were geared towards addressing African needs, postcolonial higher education leaders continued to provide an elitist education system modeled after their colonial powers. The structures, systems, curriculum, and leadership practices remain as relics of colonial dominance in every part of the educational system, making it ill-suited and unresponsive to the development agenda of postcolonial Africa (Teferra & Altbach, 2004; Woldegiorgis & Doevenspeck, 2013).

Although distance education did not gain traction as it was envisioned, postcolonial governments identified distance education as a viable mode of delivery that will enable access to large numbers of people. Despite this, distance education did not take off as expected, and campus-based system continued to exclude large numbers of people who were in desperate need of access to higher education. For decades, South Africa was the only country in the continent that provided university programs via distance mode. The University of Cape of Good Hope, which later became the University of South Africa (UNISA), was established in 1873 initially as an examining center for British universities modeled after the University of London centralized administration and decentralized colleges, many of which later became universities in South Africa (Reddy, 2004; Manson, 2016). The mission of the University of London External Study was based on serving the British “empire with its oppression of peoples all around the world” (Tait, 2008, p.86). The motive of the university leaders at the time was to develop skills for colonial administration workers with a clear mission of executing colonial agendas in Africa (Tait, 2008; Woldegiorgis & Doevenspeck, 2013).

In 1946, UNISA was transformed from being an examining center to becoming the first university to offer higher education courses through correspondence. This was after the British administrators had handed over the management of UNISA to the Afrikaners, whose main purpose was to advance the apartheid agenda, an Afrikaner Nationalist government system of discrimination based on race. The mission of apartheid education leaders was to ensure separate racial development; hence many black people were excluded from participating in higher education in general (Bell, 2001; Reddy, 2004). Although UNISA positioned itself as “an enterprise dispersing educational benefits to all who earned the right to it regardless of race,” it excluded a vast number of South African populations who could not speak English or Afrikaans (Manson, 2016). While South Africa was the only country in the continent that had several higher education institutions including a distance education university, higher education in other parts of the continent was provided by commercial correspondence colleges. The limited number of public universities in most countries illustrates that there was no political will to provide higher education to large numbers of people in Africa.

Since its inception, distance education was established to widen participation to those people who were excluded from participating in higher education. The role of distance education leaders is to ensure that different types of people irrespective of their age, gender, economic status, and abilities are accommodated and supported. To support students who are geographically separated from their teachers, peers, and the institution, a distance education leader manages interdependent subsystems that work together as a whole (Beaudoin, 2003; Marcus, 2004). Each component of the subsystem addresses structures that have to do with program and curriculum development; facilitation and learning strategies and techniques; development of learning resources and study material; decentralized student support services; and delivery systems that work together to support an individual student who studies on their own using various technologies (Beaudoin, 2003; Nworie, 2012).

All these subsystems are interrelated and interconnected, and if one part of the subsystem is not functioning, it affects all other parts. Therefore, a distance education leader assumes many roles while working in an evolving field that is part of an old system, and operating in a fast-changing environment requiring adaptation of emerging technologies and pedagogies (Nworie, 2012). It is these differences that are often misunderstood by campus-based universities which even question the quality and the legitimacy of distance education qualification. It took the Covid-19 pandemic crisis to move distance education from the periphery to the center. As education institutions faced lengthier shutdown, the expectation was that remote online learning would become a fixture for learning, whether teachers or even leaders were ready for it or not. What was widely overlooked was an overall understanding of what to anticipate in managing technologically enhanced distance teaching and learning. Teaching in an online environment is fundamentally different from classroom teaching and therefore requires resilient leaders who are dynamic and have the ability to apply flexible, creative approaches and provide an enabling environment for online learning (Reed, 2018).

Education leaders, including those in the distance education sector, were totally unprepared for this challenge of managing in time of crisis. By and large, sub-Saharan higher education institutions are often managed by people who do not have the necessary administrative or management skills to effectively lead (Ayee, 2014). In most higher education institutions, leadership is not professionalized, and there is very little interest in training and developing leaders (Beaudoin, 2003; Nworie, 2012; Varghese, 2013). It is assumed that any person who has held an administrative role such as a head of the department or a dean may be a leader in higher education. Yet, leadership is a complex vocation that requires specific personality traits such as tenacity, perseverance, adaptability, courage to make decisions, to mention a few (Reed, 2018). In some African countries, leadership is so politicized such that academic leaders are appointed by the ruling government (Sawyerr, 2004; Varghese, 2013). Added to this challenge is a general shortage of academic leaders in sub-Saharan Africa due to brain drain, and this situation is worse in distance education institutions (Varghese, 2013).

The legacy of education in sub-Saharan Africa has a lot to do with the current practices of academic leaders. Many of the practices resemble those that were used by colonial academic leaders whose main aim was to create obedient and submissive Africans. To this day, the inherited higher education system still pays little attention to the social, economic, and political needs of most African countries. It is therefore important that current leaders identify those areas from the past that they need to leave behind and those that they can take forward in order to provide a vision that will transform distance education institutions from the industrial based system to a technologically enhanced learning environment. The shortage of competent leaders in some higher education institutions, as well as the inertia of systems, structures, and practices inherited from colonial and apartheid (in the case South Africa); and the failure of implementation of policies are the weights that pulls distance education leaders away from acting effectively when faced with crisis.

The Push of the Present

Over the past 30 years, distance education leaders have had to deal with social, economic, technological, and political factors that are pushing distance education towards the future. These factors have been influenced by the changing needs of the emerging economies, the growing number of young people who seek access to higher education, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the education sector (Inayatullah, 2020; Wangenge-Ouma & Kupe, 2020). Ill-equipped for these challenges, distance education leaders found themselves faced with massive and complex challenges with no clear solutions in sight. These drivers that push for change require “innovation, risk taking, and continuous learning; and new skill sets that traditional strategies of the past are not sufficient to address” (Mrig & Sanaghan, 2017). It is at this point where distance education leaders need “to be informed and enlightened enough to ask fundamental questions that could well influence their institution’s future viability” (Beaudoin, 2003, p. 1). As decision makers, leaders need to predict what is essential for their institution in order to develop appropriate polices and implementable strategic plans that enables them to adjust and adapt to the new distance education environment. In a constantly changing environment, distance education leaders need to have a well-founded vision that will take the university forward to the future (Beaudoin, 2016; Pityana, 2017; Nworie, 2012). It is precisely during times of crisis that resilient leaders are needed because of their ability to be innovative in ensuring that teaching and learning, research, as well as community service occur in the midst of all these challenges.

Although most of the changes, with the exception of Covid-19, have been on the horizon for some time, they were largely ignored despite their huge potential to reshape the distance education sector. One such driver of change is the growing number of young people. It has been projected that the population of sub-Saharan will double in 30 years and close to 60% of those will be younger than 25 years of age (Roser, 2020; UNESCO, 2021). This indicates that distance education leaders need to put plans in place to ensure that these large numbers of people are absorbed in higher education. If Africa’s young people receive the right education and training geared towards the development of the continent, they will provide an unparalleled comparative advantage that will accelerate the economic growth of the continent (Roser, 2020). However, Africa has been lagging behind in terms of people who complete their basic education, let alone higher education. Africa produces less than 2% of research outputs, and it is in serious need of high level skills needed for the knowledge economy, according to a World Economic Forum survey (WEF, 2017). Africa’s most important resource is its young population who currently do not have access to higher education. Therefore, there is a dire need for the whole education ecosystem to engage in discourses that will ensure that young people are equipped with high level skills, qualifications that are relevant to the economic and the development needs of their respective countries, and effective programs for those who need skilling and reskilling (UNESCO, 2021; WEF, 2017). Studies have shown that countries that have thriving economies are those whose higher education participation rates is more than 50%, while most sub-Saharan African countries have less than 5% of people in higher education (Altbach, Reisberg, & Rumble, 2009). Given the limited number of universities on the continent, it therefore makes sense that open and distance education systems are better positioned to address this need for an affordable, scalable education system. This will ensure that there is capacity to service the struggling economies of developing countries.

While higher education institutions were grappling with challenges of inadequate systems, Covid-19 pandemic hit with lockdowns that forced every person to work remotely. Even distance education institutions that were supposed to be trailblazers in online learning did not have the necessary infrastructure and resources to support this mode of delivery. The Covid-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity for distance institutions to start addressing the needs of people who are forced to upskill and reskill to effectively function in what is considered the new normal. However, some distance education leaders failed to leverage on opportunities provided by the pandemic. The lack of preparation for eventualities tends to be the biggest drawback for academic leaders. This is further exacerbated where leaders are forced to focus on day-to-day operational matters and, in the process, neglect the risks that may arise due to unforeseen circumstances that impact on the practices of the sector.

Higher education institutions that are going to be resilient in future are those that are going to utilize technology to change its practices (Weller & Anderson, 2013). Practices such as teaching, administering, and managing processes in distance education rely entirely on robust information and communication technologies (ICTs) infrastructure, and agile systems and structures that support online pedagogies. All these require resilient leaders who possess broader sets of skills that show that they have deeper understanding of how technology works and how to manage it (Redecker & Punie, 2013; Weller & Anderson, 2013). Although the use of technologically mediated forms of teaching and learning are as old as distance education itself, many African distance education institutions do not have the necessary financial resources to adopt new technologies. Inadequate facilities and infrastructures, problems of quality and relevance to the current labor market, limited capacity of teaching and research, critical shortage of faculty, and huge brain drain are some of the major challenges faced by distance education leaders (Ayee, 2014; Wangenge-Ouma & Kupe, 2020; Woldegiorgis & Doevenspeck, 2013). Given these and other pressing questions, decision makers must clearly understand all influencing factors. It is therefore important that leaders pay attention to these signs, according to Mrig and Sanaghan (2017), because leaders should be constantly thinking about the future while managing today’s challenges. The future calls for resilient leaders who will be able to take more responsibility in all matters concerning the institutional affairs (OECD, 2020; Redecker & Punie, 2013).

The Pull to the Future

Moving distance education forward requires leaders who are constantly reviewing current trends, adapt to changes, and initiate solutions to problems (Portugal, 2006). The history that brought distance education to where it is now and the drivers that push these institutions to change requires resilient leaders who can pull the vision of the institution forward. The drivers that pull the future forward communicate aspirational ideas that have a potential to empower the leader to have confidence in moving the institution forward (Inayatullah, 2008). The visioning process of what distance education leaders should aspire for should be guided by the type of skills and knowledge they may need to empower themselves to steer the institution to the desired future. It therefore makes sense that leaders should draw on their personal efficacy and their support base to survive in a rapidly changing environment. “Resilience is fundamental to sustainability, in enabling individuals and communities to manage crises and disruptions, and to find alternatives” (Hall & Winn, 2011, p. 348). Resilient leaders have a clear sense of purpose and meaning, and they make do with what they have and never focus on what is missing when they meet difficult challenges (Couto, 2002; Sanaghan, 2016). This shows that resilience is a necessary trait and skill every distance education leader should develop and possess especially in times of turbulence (Couto, 2002; Sanaghan, 2016). The good news, according to Sanaghan (2016), is that “resilience can be developed with deliberate and conscious actions on the part of the leader” even though the process of building this trait may take long.

The development of a resilient leader should start by understanding the context of leadership in the present, and how it was influenced by the past. The findings of Dumulescu and Muţiu (2021) study of academic leaders during Covid-19 revealed that personal attributes such as responsibility and adaptability helped leaders adopt strategies to deal with the changes created by the pandemic. From a practical perspective, there is a need for development of leadership programs that will train people on how to adapt and find best ways to address any challenges that they may face (Dumulescu & Muţiu, 2021). Resilient leaders require three skills sets, according to Reed (2018), and these include resilient thinking skills, resilient capacity building skills, and resilient action skills.

  1. 1.

    Thinking skills requires leaders to view their current reality and assess its probability to influence the future. Therefore, it is expected that the leader should be optimistic about the future while dealing with the current adversity.

  2. 2.

    Capacity building skills have to do with the personality that a leader possess. These includes personal values that goes beyond the crisis period. Personality and self-efficacy traits are not situational, but they regulate a person’s behavior when dealing with the current situation.

  3. 3.

    Action skills focuses on the leader’s ability to make decisions with confidence and conviction. Flexible and creative approaches are needed by leaders to successfully traverse through stumbling blocks created by adversities (Reed, 2018). These actions highlight the benefits of proactivity where a leader is not only in control of a current situation, but also, he or she is mentally and physically prepared to change the environment by providing the vision for the future (Reed & Reedman, 2020).

The first two are necessary, but the third one is crucial in carrying out the demonstrated abilities to act, according to Reed (2018). The action-oriented skills were what the retired academic leaders in South Africa mentioned as crucial in steering the transformation of universities in the early 2000s (CHE, 2016). In the past two decades, higher education in South Africa went through a series of dramatic changes that were meant to address a deeply divided education sector. It was during these periods of extreme change that leaders were expected to find ways to manage in an extremely insecure environment. It was, therefore, incumbent on the academic leaders at the time, to ensure that people are motivated to carry on with their work. To achieve this, leaders needed to understand the character of the people that they are leading. The higher education sector is inclined to attract creative people who focus mainly on creating innovative ways of looking at things and finding solutions and therefore these individuals find it extremely difficult to be to be micromanaged. In fact, they work best in environment that allows them to be creative, that engages them, and that acknowledges their contributions to projects that drives the transformation agenda, according to one of the retired leaders (CHE, 2016). In this instance, a leader should lead from the back, by recognizing and supporting as well as leading from the front, by showing how it is done (Ramsden, 1998).

Academic leaders who lead from the front are those that contribute to the development of future leaders through sharing responsibilities with others. The academic leaders’ role in times of crisis is to set the institutional priorities and distribute responsibilities to the team and allow them to assume the responsibility of their own decisions while increasing the sense of empowerment of each member of the team (CHE, 2016; Dumulescu & Muţiu, 2021). This approach allows teams to make connections with people at different levels and that way every member of the institution gets involved in the changes that are taking place. In addition, leaders are expected to provide a vision and direction and allow the team to work towards accomplishing institutions’ mission (Ramdass, 2015). This type of resilient leadership requires mindset change and attitudes that embrace new ways of leading change.

Distance education institution that will remain relevant in future are those that have resilient leaders who learn, grow, and adapt to constant changes that are taking place around them (Reed, 2018). These types of leaders will be the ones who see lessons embedded in every challenge they encounter (Couto, 2002). They also have the capacity to identify trends, look for opportunities in a crisis, and understand strategic implications embedded in the challenges. Distance education leaders, according to Beaudoin (2016), operate in a rapidly changing environment that requires an agile system that will change swiftly. The pervasiveness of the mobile technologies and internet in sub-Saharan Africa; the automation and the flexibility of working environments; the growing number of people seeking spaces in higher education are all pushing distance education leaders to think critically on how to prepare people to perform effectively in the future environment (WEF, 2017). Based on these drivers, researchers anticipate that the future of education will be digital, open, flexible, collaborative, and personalized (Muňoz, Redecker, Vuorikari, & Punie, 2013; OECD, 2020; Redecker & Punie, 2013). To prepare for this future, distance education leaders need to invest in technological infrastructure, systems, and structures that are needed to support the use of technologies to enable flexible, open, and personalized ways of learning. This can be achieved if distance education leaders commit to building their own resilience by learning from the past and reflect on the present in order to catapult to the future they want. Resilience is an ongoing learning and developmental experience that provides leaders with competencies they need to lead with greater confidence while gradually preparing themselves and their subordinates for future (Reed & Reedman, 2020). Even though leaders’ specific roles are clearly defined, “the effective application of management tasks is strongly dependent on leadership self-efficacy, personal attribute, shared trust, common goals and perceiving the change and crisis as opportunity” (Dumulescu & Muţiu, 2021, p.8).

Conclusion

The discussion in this chapter illustrated that adaptive challenges facing distance education will demand resiliency, because setbacks and mistakes will be made; yet, there is a need to move forward (Hall & Winn, 2011; Mrig & Sanaghan, 2017; Reed, 2018). Despite the social and economic changes that are taking place in African countries, distance education leaders “must develop a deeper foundation of balance to manage on-going and future challenges” (Portugal, 2006, p.8). All these requires resilient leaders who are not held back by the weights of the past, but who are willing to learn from the past, strengthen what is working, and move forward to the desired future. What was clear from this chapter was that there is a need for leadership programs that will equip academic leaders with skills and knowledge on how to navigate jerky and shifting environments in distance learning. “Leading wisely, involves a balance between personal philosophy, vision, pedagogical knowledge, and a willingness to transcend daily challenges and/or political struggles” (Portugal, 2006, p.8). The sustainability of distance education is dependent on resilient leaders who have the ability to learn and adapt to changes while responding to challenges by framing contextually responsive solutions for the sector (Hall & Winn, 2011).