Change Leadership Toolkit 2.0
A Guide for Advancing Systemic Change in Higher Education
Publication Date: 2024
Format: Toolkit (Web-based + Worksheets)
The Change Leadership Toolkit 2.0 is a research-based, practice-oriented resource designed to support systemic, equity-centered transformation in higher education. Created by the Pullias Center for Higher Education with support from the Gates and Sloan Foundations, the Toolkit draws on lessons from a multi-year project involving nearly 40 institutions. It provides structured, actionable tools and worksheets that help campus leaders at all levels navigate complex change by clarifying vision, defining roles, mapping institutional ecosystems, coordinating cross-functional efforts, and sustaining long-term progress. Rooted in the Ecosystem Model of Systemic Change Leadership, the Toolkit emphasizes shared ownership, distributed leadership, and adaptive planning to embed transformation across the institution.
Connections to the Transformation Journey
and How Institutions Transform
Stages of Transformation
- Lay the Groundwork: The Toolkit supports institutions in recognizing the need for transformation and preparing for it by defining the purpose of change, assessing organizational readiness, and identifying internal champions and leadership teams.
- Start the Process: Leaders use the Toolkit to align on a shared vision, clarify roles, and build cross-functional teams. Tools such as the Ecosystem Mapping worksheet help identify internal levers of change, enabling institutions to coordinate early efforts and engage the broader campus community.
- Sharpen the Focus: Planning and diagnostic tools help teams assess current institutional conditions, examine systemic challenges, and prioritize where to focus energy and resources for maximum impact. This stage is critical for ensuring strategies are aligned with equity goals and institutional context.
- Act with Purpose: The Toolkit provides detailed implementation planning resources—including the Change Leadership Planning Worksheet and the Moves Inventory—that help teams coordinate reform efforts, manage complexity, and foster accountability across campus.
- Sustain and Evolve: Institutions are equipped with sustainability planning tools and reflection exercises that support ongoing adaptation and learning. By embedding leadership practices and iterative improvement processes, the Toolkit helps ensure transformation becomes part of institutional culture.
Learn more about the Transformation Journey and How Institutions Transform.
Core Institutional Capacities
- Catalytic Leadership: A central capacity emphasized in the Toolkit. Institutions use the Toolkit to build distributed leadership capacity, strengthen shared ownership, and guide teams through the complexities of systemic transformation.
- Other Institutional Capacities: This resource supports institutions in fostering inclusive, equity-minded leadership cultures and effective communication practices by engaging diverse stakeholders, promoting collaboration, and building transparency throughout the change process.
Learn more about the Transformation Journey and How Institutions Transform.
Continuous Improvement
This resource is most relevant to the following cross-functional roles:
- Senior Leaders: Use the Toolkit to articulate institutional vision, build leadership capacity across roles, and align institutional structures and strategies with equity-focused transformation goals.
- Mid-Level Leaders: Lead planning and implementation within divisions or departments using customizable templates and team tools. They play a key role in translating vision into coordinated action.
- Core Staff: Act as implementation partners across the institution by supporting ecosystem mapping, communication strategies, coordination, and institutional alignment.
- Frontline Staff: Engaged through inclusive design and communication strategies. The Toolkit’s role-based planning tools elevate frontline staff contributions and help ensure their perspectives shape implementation.
This resource connects to the following phase(s) of the PRPAM framework:
- Prepare: This Toolkit helps leaders assess institutional readiness, clarify the rationale for change, and identify change leaders and cross-functional teams.
- Act: Institutions use the Toolkit’s detailed planning templates, ecosystem maps, and role-based implementation tools to execute and coordinate reforms across the institution.
- Monitor: This Toolkit includes assessment worksheets and reflection tools to evaluate progress, track outcomes, and adjust strategies to ensure efforts remain responsive, aligned, and sustainable over time.
Learn more about the Transformation Journey and How Institutions Transform.
Stages of Transformation
- Lay the Groundwork: The Toolkit supports institutions in recognizing the need for transformation and preparing for it by defining the purpose of change, assessing organizational readiness, and identifying internal champions and leadership teams.
- Start the Process: Leaders use the Toolkit to align on a shared vision, clarify roles, and build cross-functional teams. Tools such as the Ecosystem Mapping worksheet help identify internal levers of change, enabling institutions to coordinate early efforts and engage the broader campus community.
- Sharpen the Focus: Planning and diagnostic tools help teams assess current institutional conditions, examine systemic challenges, and prioritize where to focus energy and resources for maximum impact. This stage is critical for ensuring strategies are aligned with equity goals and institutional context.
- Act with Purpose: The Toolkit provides detailed implementation planning resources—including the Change Leadership Planning Worksheet and the Moves Inventory—that help teams coordinate reform efforts, manage complexity, and foster accountability across campus.
- Sustain and Evolve: Institutions are equipped with sustainability planning tools and reflection exercises that support ongoing adaptation and learning. By embedding leadership practices and iterative improvement processes, the Toolkit helps ensure transformation becomes part of institutional culture.
Learn more about the Transformation Journey and How Institutions Transform.
Core Institutional Capacities
- Catalytic Leadership: A central capacity emphasized in the Toolkit. Institutions use the Toolkit to build distributed leadership capacity, strengthen shared ownership, and guide teams through the complexities of systemic transformation.
- Other Institutional Capacities: This resource supports institutions in fostering inclusive, equity-minded leadership cultures and effective communication practices by engaging diverse stakeholders, promoting collaboration, and building transparency throughout the change process.
Learn more about the Transformation Journey and How Institutions Transform.
Continuous Improvement
This resource is most relevant to the following cross-functional roles:
- Senior Leaders: Use the Toolkit to articulate institutional vision, build leadership capacity across roles, and align institutional structures and strategies with equity-focused transformation goals.
- Mid-Level Leaders: Lead planning and implementation within divisions or departments using customizable templates and team tools. They play a key role in translating vision into coordinated action.
- Core Staff: Act as implementation partners across the institution by supporting ecosystem mapping, communication strategies, coordination, and institutional alignment.
- Frontline Staff: Engaged through inclusive design and communication strategies. The Toolkit’s role-based planning tools elevate frontline staff contributions and help ensure their perspectives shape implementation.
This resource connects to the following phase(s) of the PRPAM framework:
- Prepare: This Toolkit helps leaders assess institutional readiness, clarify the rationale for change, and identify change leaders and cross-functional teams.
- Act: Institutions use the Toolkit’s detailed planning templates, ecosystem maps, and role-based implementation tools to execute and coordinate reforms across the institution.
- Monitor: This Toolkit includes assessment worksheets and reflection tools to evaluate progress, track outcomes, and adjust strategies to ensure efforts remain responsive, aligned, and sustainable over time.
Learn more about the Transformation Journey and How Institutions Transform.
Recommended Citation: Kezar, A., Elrod, S., & Holcombe, E. (2024). Change Leadership Toolkit 2.0: A Guide for Advancing Systemic Change in Higher Education. Pullias Center for Higher Education, University of Southern California.
