When Idalene Kesner became the permanent dean of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in 2013, she found a note that her predecessor, Dan Smith, left in his former desk.
It cited a popular version of a quote that originated with Hunter S Thompson: “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘holy shit, what a ride’.”
The note reminded Prof Kesner to enjoy the increasingly tough job of running a business school. The difficulty has created problems that can sometimes amount to a leadership vacuum. Statistics from a leading professional organisation in the sector, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), show that in 2018 there were 85 openings for business deans advertised through its job board, up on the 70 vacancies posted the previous year.