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Colleges and universities can be places of purpose, community, and growth, but they can also be shaped by traditions, systems, and unspoken norms that make it difficult for everyone to thrive. In “Leading Toward Liberation”, Caño invites readers to imagine another way. Drawing from liberation psychology and her experiences as a first-generation Latina scholar, academic leader, and career coach, she offers a framework for leadership rooted in dignity, accountability, and collective well-being.
In this conversation, we discuss what inspired the book, how liberatory leadership can show up in everyday practice, and how anyone — with or without a formal title — can help reshape the environments they are part of.
Lauren Lane, HigherEdJobs: Your book description says that it is written “through a lens of liberation psychology.” Can you explain what this is and why it matters for leaders?
Annmarie Caño, Ph.D.: A lot of leadership books focus on the leader’s attitudes and behaviors as if the leader is an independent actor, disconnected from what has gone on and is going on in the world. Liberation psychology takes an approach that is more contextual. It concerns itself with how systems, both in history and at the present moment, contribute to the ability of people to be fully human. Liberation psychology is aimed at promoting human dignity and countering oppression as it shows up in our thinking, actions, interpersonal relations, and societal decisions. Liberation psychology offers new ways of thinking about leadership.
Lane: How would you define or describe a liberatory leader? What does it take to be one?
Caño: Rather than a top-down, command-and-control style, liberatory leaders co-create new ways of doing things to liberate the workplace from oppressive practices. They do their homework to become more aware of the ways in which they and their ancestors have benefited from and suffered at the expense of oppression. Perhaps they read history, watch movies, and listen to music to appreciate who they come from and why they do the work they do. Liberatory leaders have a growth mindset, so they acknowledge that they have never arrived. Everyone is a work in progress. They also accompany others in word and deed and actively seek creative solutions with others to dismantle and replace oppressive dynamics in the workplace. These leaders are not simply “nice” people with a listening ear. They apply what they learn to concrete actions. For instance, they might revise or co-create policies or budgeting procedures in collaboration with people who have been excluded or marginalized by the status quo.
Lane: In the introduction, you share candidly about navigating higher ed as a first-generation Latina and later recognize both your marginalizations and privileges. How did those personal realizations shape the way you now practice and teach leadership?
Caño: I have learned to become more curious about why things are the way they are so that I can imagine how they can be better. When coaching and teaching others, I recognize that we’re all on a growth trajectory, and there will be times when we are more or less open to that growth. That means I try to be patient and meet others where they are. I admit it’s easier to do this if there is at least a willingness to engage in self-reflection. I’m also not afraid to ask questions that encourage others to think about the kind of leader they’d like to be because the answers often help me gauge our next steps.
Finally, I recognize that the same question from three different leaders can have different answers depending on who they are, their institutional context, and the sociopolitical dynamics in their community. So, I spend quite a bit of time trying to understand the context before helping others figure out their next right steps.
Lane: You write that liberatory leadership often comes from people without formal titles who take risks and imagine new possibilities. What does this look like in practice on a campus, and why do you think it’s especially vital in today’s higher ed climate?
Caño: A core tenet of liberatory leadership is that the people on the ground, and those who are experiencing marginalization and exclusion, are the ones with the answers. We need to listen to them. Faculty, staff, and students without formal titles have an important role to play in solving the problems that higher ed is facing today. Leaders with formal authority need to pay attention, listen, and respond with this in mind.
But even if they do not listen or take heed, those without titles can act from the influence they have. We are seeing this influence play out in students and faculty organizing for their rights, protests and vigils, and letter-writing campaigns. Individuals can also take action by writing op-eds, volunteering to serve on committees that affect policy, and building relationships that can foster future change.
Sometimes, the only thing we can do is accompany others through their struggles, and we must remember that this can be very powerful even if it doesn’t feel like action. Just being listened to and believed can have profound effects on morale, well-being, and perseverance.
Lane: You share that early in your career you often said “yes” to every opportunity, until mentors encouraged you to think about “what only I could uniquely do.” How did that advice change the way you approach leadership, and how might emerging leaders apply it today?
Caño: As an emerging leader, I thought that if I said no to anything, I would never have another chance. It was a scarcity mindset. When I heard this advice, I realized that there would always be another opportunity, maybe not the same opportunity, but something that better met my needs, skill set, and values. This has indeed played out over my career.
My advice for emerging leaders today is to evaluate every ask with questions like: What kind of an impact will I have if I take this on? Does the thought of doing this work energize me? How will taking this on affect my ability to do the other things I want to do right now (including spending time with loved ones, valued community service, or leisure activities)? What else is motivating me — guilt if I don’t take this on, money, prestige, power? Are those good enough reasons to say yes right now?
Lane: If you had to list two or three takeaways you most hope readers walk away with, what would they be?
Caño: I hope that readers learn that they can lead with compassion and courage even when the way forward is murky. I hope they no longer put up with leadership that reinforces oppression and harm. And I hope they take action to co-create the kind of workplace that frees everyone up to flourish.
Dr. Caño is one of HigherEdJobs’ Authors in Residence. Learn more about the program and additional participating authors here
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