Aida Sagintayeva, Dean of Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education: Five Things You Need To Be A Highly Effective Leader During Turbulent Times
Be as transparent as you can: Keep your finger on the pulse and share information with employees regularly. In our case, starting from March 2020, we launched video communications and email updates via regular addresses to university faculty, staff, and students. This helped to demystify the situation and reduced anxiety.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Aida Sagintayeva, Dean of Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan. She has been involved in educational research projects for the Ministry of Education and Science and has coordinated a ministerial initiative aimed at introducing Western PhD programmes in Kazakhstan. Leadership in education runs in her family and she believes trust in a leader is vital in a crisis.
Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us about your backstory and how you go started?
The fact that I have taken a leadership role in education was predetermined by my family’s history. My grandfather was a school principal, and my grandmother was the head of a kindergarten; I spent a lot of time with them in my childhood. As a young child, I vividly recall myself ‘playing school’: lining up my dolls and teaching them what I have learnt myself.
After graduating from the Faculty of Foreign Languages, I worked as a university teacher and then as President of the “Bolashak” International Scholarship program, where we were engaged in the selection and organization of training for Kazakhstani students at the top universities in the world.
I was then appointed as a Vice-Rector of a large national university in the capital city of Kazakhstan. It was a great leadership experience. So, for almost ten years now, I have worked in academic leadership, first as a Chief Executive Officer and then as Dean of the Graduate School of Education at Nazarbayev University.
What motivates you?
The last decades have been marked by rapid changes in the Kazakhstani education system. We are now trying to overcome our colonial past’s burden, build our national identity, and restore cultural values. Several generations of professionals have already been trained, and they are now transforming education across the country.
I am inspired by the opportunity to work with them and the professors of the Graduate School of Education. We generate ideas and develop tools for building an education system that will allow our children and youth to be happy and successful, and will facilitate Kazakhstan’s engagement in global dialogue on the future of education.
What would you say is the most critical role of a leader during challenging times?
The pandemic has affected the vital processes within the university. Indeed, for more than a thousand years of higher education history, there had never been such a case when the campuses were closed. One cannot imagine university life without the real-life communication between the students and professors, without continuous intellectual interaction and a flow of ideas from person to person.
I am not still ready to answer whether we have been able to overcome this challenge and how it will affect the quality of education in the future. One thing is clear — in this situation, I saw my role as a leader in increased communication with faculty and staff and in setting clear priorities and tasks. Paradoxically, the time since March 2020 has become the most effective period in the history of our school. We have secured a number of international grants, received awards, and participated in international projects. We have also created a research database on education in the context of COVID-19. At that time, I considered it my duty to engage other universities in extensive discussions with educational experts to facilitate the sharing of teaching and management strategies in these extreme conditions. I hope that our analytical approach for understanding all aspects of teaching and learning from both perspectives — teachers and students — helped to overcome the fear and anxiety that people experienced initially during the quarantine.
When the future seems so uncertain, what is the best way to boost morale? What can a leader do to inspire their team?
Maximize trust and minimize stress and anxiety. When we started working online, instead of strengthening control, we cancelled measuring Key Performance Indicators. We believed that internal motivation would increase with the absence of external control, and our experience showed that this was a very practical decision.
Uncertainty is a significant cause of stress. We discussed what entities and populations are in the most vulnerable position at the governing board meetings and what should be done to support them. This prompted a chain reaction, and everyone started to think of supporting others who are in a more difficult position, stimulating the exchange of experiences and ideas.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
My grandfather used to say: “Everyone can do bad things, but not everyone can do good things. If you do good, good things will happen.” I realize how right he was and always try to follow his advice. Empathy, integrity, and sharing — I try to stick to these values and cultivate them among our students.
How can a leader make plans when the future is so unpredictable?
I’m not sure I have a complete answer to this question, but I can say that leadership in the time of crisis comes with maintaining trust. If a team does not trust its leader, any action is doomed to failure. A crisis is always accompanied by stress, so the leader should set clear priorities and courses of action amid uncertainty. The future, in a sense, is always unpredictable. Sometimes a delay in making a response can result in disorientation, stagnation, and regression. A leader must respond quickly and effectively in accordance with the context and available data, making necessary adjustments as the situation continues to evolve.
Based on your experience and success, what are the five most important things a business leader should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times?
Be as transparent as you can: Keep your finger on the pulse and share information with employees regularly. In our case, starting from March 2020, we launched video communications and email updates via regular addresses to university faculty, staff, and students. This helped to demystify the situation and reduced anxiety.
Display compassion and care: Stressful situations tend to be clearly remembered; therefore, the leader’s confidence in maintaining credibility in the time of uncertainty will stay even when the crisis comes to an end.
Embrace opportunities that arise from the crisis: Encourage your employees to focus on the future. Any crisis provides an opportunity to emerge with a better version of yourself and the organization.
Demonstrate a positive leadership style: Sometimes, we cannot control the situation, but we can control and enhance positive emotions. Our emotions, in turn, influence the climate within the organization. Positivity is also associated with creativity.
Do not be afraid of challenges and mistakes: Any experience is valuable. Learning from failure is a part of development, but we often miss that. This is a long process and embracing this culture will make the employees more flexible, creative, willing to take risks and productive. Contrary to popular belief, I do not support the constant strive for excellence. For me, it is more important that a decision is viable and effective.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Time is priceless!
What are your hopes for the future and for Nazarbayev University?
Nazarbayev University is a unique university. It was created as a flagship model for reforming Higher Education and Science to serve as a benchmark for quality and transparency. We prepare high-level professionals for many spheres, which contributes to the potential of these organizations, because these professionals will, in turn, train and influence other employees. NU graduates create changes in all professional fields where they work — in education, in healthcare, the extraction of natural resources, in ICT and construction.
I hope that despite the changing reality, in any unpredictable circumstances, NU graduates will be guided by NU core values and will cultivate this commitment wherever they go. I envision the rapid development and growth of new ideas within the university, which will continue to be the center of innovation in Kazakhstan.
Thank you! We wish you continued success!
