“Leadership is a fine thing, but it has its penalties. And the greatest penalty is loneliness.” — Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Shackleton led the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, aiming to be the first to cross Antarctica on foot. But before they even made it to the continent, their ship, Endurance, became trapped in the ice and was slowly crushed. The mission failed spectacularly, but what happened next is where the story becomes legendary.
With no hope of rescue, Shackleton took complete accountability—not just for the mission’s failure but for the lives and well-being of every single man on that ship.
For nearly two years, he led his crew through freezing temperatures, starvation, and complete isolation — and not a single man died. His decisions, optimism, and sheer presence kept morale alive. He never delegated the hard stuff, even leading a daring 800-mile journey in a lifeboat across the Southern Ocean to get help.
The Need for Stability
This week, we’re exploring the fourth need of followers, according to Gallup’s research: stability—“the need for psychological safety and secure foundations during times of uncertainty” (Gallup, 2024).
The attributes involved in this include structure, accountability and responsibility.
If you’re like me, your first thought might be: Stability? Right now? This feels like one of the most unstable times in recent memory. Even during COVID, at least we were inside with our families and had some clear guidance (however limiting). In today’s world, our leaders seem to have whiplash.
Political candidates are trying to sell us stability: “I’ll do this,” “I’ll create a strong foundation.” But it feels like we’re all trying to build something while racing against a timer — frantically placing pieces on the board of Perfection before they all fly out again. The catch? We don’t even control the timer.
Now imagine each of those plastic pieces represents someone’s life, job, or business — all trying to find their “perfect fit” while looking to you, the leader, to figure it out before everything explodes. That’s what leadership pressure looks like in uncertain times.
The Power Duo: Responsibility and Accountability
But let’s not forget about accountability and responsibility as key stability components. What do these two things mean? We often talk about who is responsible for something and who is accountable. Have you taken the time to consider the differences and similarities?
Responsibility is typically about duties and roles. These can be shared amongst people or a team (i.e. this team is responsible for delivering career coaching to students). Typically, responsibility is assigned – it’s something that you’re told to do or expected to do. My kids are responsible for cleaning their rooms (not that they all do – ugh). This is often the work you do.
Accountability is more outcome-based and differs from responsibility in that it includes the concept of ownership. One person owns the outcome, which goes beyond what was assigned to them.
If only all my kids took ownership of the cleanliness of their rooms! There’s a big difference between being responsible for cleaning your room and taking ownership of keeping it clean. Some of my kids will clean their room when they’re told — they’re fulfilling the task they’ve been assigned, usually with an eye roll and minimal effort. They’re responsible, technically. But then there’s Brady (it’s always Brady). He doesn’t wait to be asked. He takes pride in having a tidy room all the time. That’s ownership. That’s accountability. If I made him the CEO of Clean Rooms, our household would probably run with a lot more stability on the second floor of our house. I’ve honestly given up on owning it myself. But I digress.
Accountability and responsibility build trust. Clarity about who does what can drive performance and commitment. When they’re absent? Confusion, finger-pointing, disengagement, and instability.
Think about a stable team you’ve worked on. I bet you could identify:
- A clear owner — someone who’s accountable for the outcome
- People who understand what they’re responsible for, and how their work connects to others
Together, these bring consistency, which brings predictability, which creates stability.
And when the buzzer inevitably pops? Teams with structure and trust don’t fall apart. They recalibrate.
Stability Is a Leadership Function
When leaders take accountability—even when things go wrong—they create psychological safety. People know they won’t be blamed or scapegoated, so they can stay focused on their responsibilities with confidence and clarity.
Today, in higher education and beyond, we need leaders who own their leadership and say, “I may not control the storm, but I’m steering the ship.”
That gives others space to do what they’re responsible for, and the grace to do it well.
If your organization is struggling to stay steady in an unstable world, it’s time to ask: How can we create a structure that weathers the storm? Start with the four needs we’ve explored over the past month — Hope, Trust, Compassion, and Stability.
And Speaking of Stability…
If you’re one of the many professionals thinking about what comes next, you’re not alone.
This week’s Hive Update has a bit of a twist: in addition to our usual higher ed roles, we’ve included a few non-higher-ed opportunities that tap into the same skill sets. Because sometimes, I’m asked about roles that can help people land outside of higher ed.
So, whether you’re holding steady or charting a new course, here are this week’s opportunities across the country…
Weekly Hive Update – Job Opportunities (April 16, 2025)
BC
Director, Applied Research Centre – Langara
Link
Close Date: April 29, 2025
Continuing Education Coordinator (Mackenzie) – College of New Caledonia
Link
Close Date: April 25, 2025
Coordinator, Student Development and Support – UBC
Link
Close Date: April 22, 2025
Learning and Development Advisor – Royal Roads
Link
Close Date: April 28, 2025
AB
Student Placement Officer – Medicine Hat College
Link
Close Date: May 1, 2025
Learning Design Consultant (Term) – Bow Valley College
Link
Close Date: April 22, 2025
ILM Senior Manager – NAIT
Link
Close Date: May 8, 2025
Academic Liaison – NAIT
Link
Close Date: May 1, 2025
Program Manager, Lab to Market Manager – Alberta North Hub – NAIT
Link
Close Date: April 22, 2025
Coordinator, Women in Skilled Trades (Term) – SAIT
Link
Close Date: April 29, 2025
Director, Apprenticeship – SAIT
Link
Close Date: April 29, 2025
SASK
Program Manager – Lab to Market – Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Link
Close Date: April 29, 2025
MB
Lead, Student Success & Strategic Initiatives – University of Manitoba
Link
Close Date: April 17, 2025
ON
Part-Time Project Placement Officer (Temp) – Niagara College
Link
Close Date: April 17, 2025
Employment Services Coordinator – Northern College
Link
Close Date: April 23, 2025
Student Success Advisor – Candore College
Link
Close Date: April 22, 2025
Co-op and Internship Officer – Ontario Tech
Link
Close Date: April 29, 2025
Employer Liaison Officer – Limited Term – Ontario Tech
Link
Close Date: April 28, 2025
Strategic Partnerships Officer – External Relations Department – Limited Term – Ontario Tech
Link
Close Date: April 18, 2025
Executive Director, Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation – University of Toronto (St. George)
Link
Close Date: May 12, 2025
Student Development Officer (Term) – University of Toronto (St. George)
Link
Close Date: April 22, 2025
NS
Associate Director, Student Leadership Academy – Dalhousie
Link
Close Date: April 17, 2025
NL
Employment Services Manager – CNA
Link
Close Date: April 22, 2025
Opportunities Outside of Higher Ed (Still Higher Ed Related)
Director of Communications – BHER
Link
Close Date: Not Listed
Associate Director – University Partnerships (Pathways Program) – Roesdale International Education
Link
Close Date: Not Listed
Director, Skills Policy Lead, RBC Thought Leadership – RBC
Link
Close Date: April 26, 2025