Zukiswa Mancoba
Abstract
The higher education sector, like various other fraternities, is a multifaceted professional setting. While there may be variations regarding the population and enrolment numbers, as well as different goals among educational institutions, the typical university in South Africa is expected to cater to a diverse range of students and academic interests. These include providing college-level, undergraduate, postgraduate studies, and conducting applied and basic research. At the heart of these multifaceted institutions lies the esteemed executive leadership serving as the driving force behind teaching, scholarly activities, as well as community outreach, inter alia. At times, these leaders may encounter challenges in effectively balancing these diverse and competing interests. This paper, therefore, focuses on university leadership, paying special attention to the leadership roles that leaders play in their respective institutions. The workspace in higher education is dynamic and demanding, which necessitates some form of change to balance work with personal life. This study presents a conceptual framework regarding how mindfulness can be applied by higher education institutions’ leadership. Mindfulness is a meta-skill that can modify fundamental aspects of leadership, including self-awareness, flexibility, and emotion regulation.