How to lead an academic marketing department: some personal observations and reflections

In this chapter, I describe some personal reflections and insights, which I have gained over the years on how to (effectively) lead an academic marketing department. I make a big plea for keeping things simple, letting go of control, and cherishing the power and creativity that is in most people, when given the freedom to work on the things they really care about. Incentives and extrinsic rewards work, but I think that benefitting from intrinsic motivations is superior. The main goal of academic leadership is to challenge, encourage, and facilitate people so that all the potential they have in them will be realized. Professionals should be trusted, and leadership should be able to do this.