Gretchen Oltman, Vicki Bautista
Publication Date: October 24, 2025
Pages: 128
 
            This self-care action plan is written for today’s higher education professionals regardless of rank, tenure, or stature. 
Being a successful professional takes stamina, and successful individuals can only sustain their momentum for as long as they maintain their well-being. Approached in a thoughtful and personal way, this book identifies self-care challenges faced by professionals in higher education and provides strategies for building a rewarding, long-term career.
The authors identify the root cause of issues that impact well-being to achieve professional sustainability. Each chapter provides background information on a topic, engaging activities to explore the topic in greater depth, and reflective questions for self-evaluation, and the final chapter offers guidance to help readers design their own self-care plan. Chapter topics were selected based on the authors’ interactions with professionals, information from the field, and trends in higher education. The topics include communication complexities; role clarity; lack of control; the need for meaningful recognition; lack of confidence in leadership; the need to trust others; building personalized professional growth opportunities; recognizing “job creep”; and the inherent challenges of high-achieving professionals.
Book Features:
Gretchen Oltman is an associate professor of interdisciplinary studies at Creighton University, an attorney, and author. Vicki Bautista is the doctor of education program director at Clarkson College, and a board-certified health and wellness coach.
“If you are a higher education professional feeling stretched thin, this book is your indispensable, energizing guide to wellness. Filled with real, relatable strategies and thoughtful reflection questions to support well-being and professional sustainability, the authors remind us that self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential. After 2 decades as a professor in higher education and a behavioral health professional, I can say with confidence that this is a vital resource for nurturing both ourselves and our careers.”
—Cynthia Clark, founder of Civility Matters, professor emeritus, Boise State University, School of Nursing
“A Self-Care Guide for Leaders in Higher Education offers a refreshingly practical approach to the unique challenges facing higher education professionals, moving beyond generic wellness advice to address the specific stressors of academic life—from communication complexities and role ambiguity to job creep and burnout. The authors skillfully weave together research-backed insights with actionable strategies, providing readers with tools to navigate everything from delegation struggles to the need for meaningful recognition, while building sustainable careers in academia. This book stands out as an essential resource that acknowledges the realities of working in higher education while empowering professionals to create personalized self-care plans that support both their well-being and long-term professional success.”
—Narelle Lemon, director, Explore & Create Co., and professor, Edith Cowan University, Australia
“This book is a must-read for professionals in higher education. The authors do a masterful job addressing the most common challenges faced by individuals who pursue a career and leadership roles in higher education, and outline strategies for overcoming them so that optimal well-being can be achieved and sustained.”
—Bernadette Melnyk, vice president for health promotion and chief wellness officer, The Ohio State University
Contents
Acknowledgments  xi
1.  You Matter  1
Why You Need a Self-Care Plan for Your Professional Sustainability  1
Self-Care  2
Professional Sustainability  3
A Vision for Self-Care and Professional Sustainability  4
Why Professional Sustainability Can Be Challenging  5
Are You a Leader?  6
Why We Wrote This Book  7
Definition of Terms Used Throughout This Book  9
How to Use This Book  10
Conclusion  11
2.  Communication Complexities  13
Why Do We Struggle With Communication in Higher Education?  13
When and Where Did You Learn to Communicate?  14
Our Expectations for Perfection Are Created Through Experiences  14
Constant Contact in Higher Education  16
How Communication Impacts Our Self-Care and Professional Sustainability  18
Activity: The 7 Cs of Communication in Higher Education  19
Conclusion  22
Reflection Questions  22
3.  Role Clarity or Lack Thereof  23
Why We Struggle With Role Clarity in Higher Education  23
The Full Plate of Workload  24
The Confusion of Role Clarity  24
Am I Being Too Nice?  25
Don’t Let the Ambiance Fool You  26
Activity: Considering and Protecting Your Talents  26
Conclusion  30
Reflection Questions  30
4.  Lack of Control  31
Why Do We Struggle With Lack of Control in Our Higher Education Careers?  31
Lack of Control on the Individual Level  34
How Lack of Control Impacts Our Career Sustainability and Self-Care  35
Activity: Circle of Control  37
How to Use the Circle of Control  39
Conclusion  40
Reflection Questions  40
5.  The Desire for Meaningful Recognition  41
Why Do We Struggle With Meaningful Recognition in Higher Education Careers?  41
Assumptions About Recognition  42
What Is Meaningful Recognition in Higher Education?  44
Finding Purpose in Performance Evaluations  45
How Lack of Meaningful Feedback Impacts Our Self-Care and Professional Sustainability  46
Activity: Identifying Your Recognition Style  47
Conclusion  49
Reflection Questions  50
6.  Lack of Confidence in Leadership  51
Why Do We Lack Confidence in Our Leaders in Higher Education Careers?  51
What Happens When We Lack Confidence in Leaders?  52
Accidental Leaders  53
How Lack of Confidence in Leadership Affects Our Self-Care and Professional Stability  54
Activity: Building Trust From Within  54
Conclusion  56
Reflection Questions  56
7.  Delegation  57
Why Do We Struggle With Delegation in Higher Education?  57
Why We Resist Delegation  57
A Culture of Mistrust  59
How Lack of Delegation Impacts Our Self-Care and Professional Sustainability  60
Revealing the Secret of Freedom  62
Delegation Determination  62
Activity: Delegation Blueprint  63
Delegation Checklist  65
Conclusion  66
Reflection Questions  67
8.  Professional Stagnation and the Need for Individualized Growth Options  69
Why Do We Struggle With Professional Development Offerings in Higher Education?  69
Growth Does Not Occur Without Intention  70
Changing Needs for Professional Development  70
How Professional Development Impacts Our Self-Care and Long-Term Professional Sustainability  72
Activity: Creating Your Own Professional Growth Plan  73
Conclusion  75
Reflection Questions  75
9.  “Job Creep” and High-Achieving Professionals  77
Why Do We Struggle With Our Increasingly Demanding Workload?  77
“Job Creep” and the Unmanageable or Unpredictable Workload  78
Being a High-Achieving Leader in Higher Education  79
Assumptions About the High-Achieving Professional  80
How Job Creep and High-Achieving Traits Impact Our Self-Care and Professional Sustainability  83
Activity: Balancing Your High-Achieving Traits Seesaw  84
Conclusion  85
Reflection Questions  86
10.  Creating Your Self-Care Plan for Professional Sustainability  87
How Do We Do It All?  87
Envisioning Your Path Forward  88
Impact Statement Prompts  90
Adding Self-Care to Professional Impact and Sustainability  91
Formalizing Your Self-Care for Professional Sustainability  93
A Living Self-Care and Professional Sustainability Plan  94
A Call to Action  95
Some Last Notes to the Reader  95
Appendix  97
References  99
Index  105
About the Authors  113
Professors: Request an Exam Copy
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