When Leadership Becomes a Bottleneck

A real story about poor leadership and how it affects student success

Recently, I noticed that our hardbound thesis took several days just to get signed by the head of our Computer Department. Due to certain circumstances, we had to find a workaround — eventually getting approval not from the department head, but through the college itself, just so we could move forward and have our hardbound copy validated another way.

This department head is known for being extremely strict — when she wants something done a certain way, it has to be done her way. I had a conversation with one of our teachers who tried to justify her behavior, saying, “That’s just the kind of person she is.” I replied, “Yes, ma’am, and what she’s doing is becoming a bottleneck in the organization.”

The teacher seconded my thoughts, adding that this person lacks communication skills, has a high ego, and worst of all, isn’t collaborative. It’s frustrating — this is an academic institution funded by the government, and it should operate efficiently to support students. Instead, we face egotistical, childish behavior that turns the workplace into a struggle.

Rather than prioritizing efficiency and maintaining quality education, this leadership style seems to make students suffer unnecessarily. It ruins the potential for a growth-focused environment. Leadership like this — where collaboration is shut down and personal ego takes the lead — is, frankly, toxic.

Advice for The Department Head from ChatGPT

1. Leadership isn’t just about authority — it’s about responsibility.

When students are delayed for days over signatures or rigid bottlenecks, that’s not just a procedural hiccup. That’s a barrier to progress. Leaders should remove friction, not create it.

2. Communication is not optional — it’s foundational.

Clear, proactive, and empathetic communication isn't a soft skill — it's an essential one, especially in academia. Without it, collaboration dies and frustration rises.

3. Ego must never outweigh the mission.

The mission here is student success, not personal control. If personal pride or being "the final say" becomes more important than results, then leadership has gone off-course.

4. Rigid systems are not efficient — they're brittle.

A truly efficient and effective system has structure but also flexibility. Students already face enough challenges — the system should support them, not add more roadblocks.

5. The best leaders are approachable and adaptive.

Respect isn't commanded through control — it's earned through empathy, clarity, and consistency. Even tough standards can coexist with compassion.

And if I could say one final thing directly, it would be:

"Students aren't the enemy. They’re the future. The system should be helping them rise, not making them jump unnecessary hurdles to prove they deserve to graduate. We can have high standards without being hard to work with."