UND President Andrew Armacost provides vision of leadership for campus community
Aug. 31—GRAND FORKS — Addressing students and faculty leaders at the Memorial Union on Wednesday, UND President Andrew Armacost encouraged attendees to find a unique way to tap into their collective leadership potential.
The speech was part of UND's 18:83 lecture series — with each speaker timed at 18 minutes and 83 seconds to coincide with the university's founding year. Upcoming lecturers will include Art Malloy, UND's vice president of student affairs, retired Col. Tim Curry and UND Provost Eric Link.
Armacost said the concept of leadership is shaped by each individual's personal experiences.
"My underlying message is leadership is a very human endeavor," he said. "As I think about the way that I lead, I'd like to do it by recognizing the humanity of everyone in the university and within the organization."
Armacost referenced a notable alumna from UND's first graduating class of 1889 — Dr. Cora Smith, the first licensed female physician in North Dakota and namesake behind Smith Hall — as an example of the university's history of instilling the values of leadership.
"When you think of leadership, think about it all the way back to the founding of our campus," he said. "There are major opportunities."
Armacost, who graduated from Northwestern University exactly 100 years later in 1989, chronicled his journey to UND, which included 24 years of service at the United States Air Force Academy as an educator and provost. He retired from the Air Force in 2019 with the rank of Brigadier General.
"The formative years there, both in terms of how we delivered academics, but also how we promoted leadership among our student body, was really essential," he said. "I think about my role in the classroom — nothing prepared me as much for leadership as being a professor."
Since assuming the role of UND president in 2020, Armacost has faced several challenges, among them navigating the COVID-19 pandemic — an experience he said strengthened him as a leader.
"Leadership involves uncertainty," he said. "There's not a lot of axiomatic answers to what we do. People said, '(2020) must have been a horrible year.' The fact is, it was an amazing year, because what I saw was a team that bound together, that had a common purpose and vision for keeping the campus safe. To see that in action as a new person to campus was so gratifying."
Armacost encouraged attendees to support one another in their endeavors, saying that teamwork is the foundation for creating effective leaders.
"Everyone has a talent that you need to tap into," he said. "I think it is incumbent upon leaders to figure out how it is we do that. I also think it is important to find joy in the success of others. The members of your team are going to do amazing things — relish in the joy of their accomplishments. Don't worry about your own accomplishments — those will happen naturally if you build a good team."
He also said it is important to commit to a lifetime of learning, and pursue intellectual endeavors outside of one's comfort zone.
"There's so much out there — if you think you've learned everything, you're wrong," Armacost said. "Even when you get a Ph.D. in your discipline, there's so much more to uncover in this world. Exercise the other side of your brain. Those who are technically-oriented, focus on exercising the artistic and historical side. For those who are non-technical, there are certainly technical things you can pick up."
In closing, Armacost said it is essential for leaders to build a sense of trust, based on demonstrating a commitment to their core values.
"Make sure the words that you use and the follow up that they have meet the promises you make," he said. "And always stand up for your core values. Organizations have core values — you all should have your own core values about things that are inviolable. Things that you hold dear to yourselves that are important to the way that you work."
