Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Cindy Petersen

Second Advisor

Jonathan Greenberg

Third Advisor

Angela Tos

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the strategies used by exemplary campus presidents to build and lead resilient teams in for-profit vocational colleges, grounded in Kirkman and Stoverink’s (2023) team resources framework.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 10 exemplary campus presidents serving in for-profit vocational colleges throughout California’s Central Valley. Purposeful sampling was used to identify participants who met the study’s criteria. Data were collected through semistructured, open-ended interviews and the analysis of four organizational artifacts including strategic plans, communication workflows, meeting structures, and leadership models. Data were systematically coded and analyzed to identify themes aligned with the study’s four research questions.

Findings: Analysis of the data resulted in 398 coded frequencies from multiple themes aligned to the four team resources: team confidence, teamwork roadmaps, capacity to improvise, and psychological safety. Findings revealed that leaders build team confidence through credibility and purpose-driven leadership; establish teamwork roadmaps through structured systems, clear expectations, and accountability practices; develop capacity to improvise through adaptability and shared ownership of challenges; and foster psychological safety through open communication, accessibility, and inclusive leadership practices.

Conclusions: Seven conclusions resulted based on the findings and supporting literature. Exemplary campus presidents build team resilience by (a) developing leadership credibility, (b) aligning teams to a shared mission, (c) implementing structured systems and clear expectations, (d) adopting adaptive leadership practices, (e) fostering shared ownership of challenges, (f) cultivating psychological safety, and (g) promoting inclusive leadership practices that enhance engagement and effectiveness.

Recommendations: Organizations should implement leadership development programs that strengthen leadership credibility, mission alignment, and structured operational systems. Institutions should provide targeted professional development focused on adaptive leadership, data-driven decision making, collaborative problem solving, and psychological safety. In addition, organizations should establish mentorship, coaching, and feedback systems, as well as structured opportunities for team member voice and cross-functional collaboration, to support the development of resilient, high-performing teams.

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