Strolling through the Ann Arbor Farmers Market on a beautiful Saturday morning in August, we’re surrounded by tables bursting with fresh fruits, vegetables, and brightly colored bouquets of flowers. Even after filling my large backpack and my partner Pam’s bicycle panniers, we end up making a second run to add the blueberries, green beans, and watermelon we just couldn’t resist. As I reflected on this sensory-rich celebration of abundance, my thoughts turned to academia, where the harvest of scholars’ and leaders’ hard work is not always celebrated and savored in ways
that would best support both individual and organizational thriving.
A distinguished professor who had moved from one top university to another expressed disappointment that in her new institution, accomplishments were rarely celebrated. The attitude seemed to be, “Of course you will place your work in the highest impact journals, win awards, and be recognized at the highest level of your discipline.” “In my former department,” she explained, “every positive ‘win’ was celebrated with a congratulatory group email from the chair and in department-wide gatherings. It created such positive esprit de corps and a sense of community. Failing to acknowledge these things is a huge wasted opportunity.”
Yet acknowledging major achievements is only half the story; staying energized requires recognizing the smaller markers of success at each stage of a project. Graduate students are frequently overwhelmed when they realize just how many hours and iterations it takes to bring a paper to publication. Elisabeth Yang, an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore, recalled how her Ph.D. advisor, Julia DiBenigno, ensured her team paused to mark every incremental milestone: “She kept a mini-fridge in her office with small bottles of champagne. Whether it was finishing a draft, submitting a manuscript, or turning in a revise-and-resubmit, my advisor brought out a bottle so we could toast. Recognizing each step along the way was a massive morale boost.”
DiBenigno added, “I learned this general celebratory practice from my fantastic advisor, Kate Kellogg (MIT) who instilled in me how it’s important to celebrate the process and not the outcome. I’ll never forget how Kate sent me daffodils when I submitted my first manuscript for publication 
that we co-authored together. She’d also always encourage me to go have a glass of wine and celebrate after any solo submissions. And since becoming an advisor myself I’ve elaborated on this practice by stocking my mini-fridge with mini-champagnes (and sparkling cider) to have at the ready for students and junior faculty to celebrate submissions, completed revisions and other milestones.”
As leaders move into higher levels of university administration, they may find that their talent for creating celebratory cultures for faculty and staff doesn’t easily translate into savoring their own wins. In these roles, everyone around them is either a direct report, a senior administrator, an advisory board member, or a donor. Celebrating a win to direct reports can feel like gloating; celebrating to senior leadership can feel like politicking. One of the joys of my executive coaching work is offering leaders a space to uninhibitedly celebrate their own successes. Leaders who don’t work with a coach find that family—along with friends outside their institution or academia—can ease the sense of isolation by joining in their celebrations.
What rituals help you, your department, or your school to savor progress toward a goal, not just the final harvest? I’d love to hear how you mark the milestones along the way.
❖ ❖ ❖
Associate Deans Roundtable: Now Enrolling for 2026/2027 Cohort
Looking for a confidential space to bring your toughest academic leadership challenges?
The Associate Deans Roundtable is a high-level community of practice for associate deans and equivalent leaders, including vice deans, deputy deans, and associate provosts. This small group of 7-8 leaders meets monthly via Zoom for expertly facilitated conversations designed to help you address professional and organizational goals, provide mutual support, and exchange practical ideas, strategies, and best practices with peers across institutions.
➤ [Click here to register or for more information.]
Know a colleague who would benefit from this blend of peer support and strategic problem-solving? Please pass this invitation along directly or share it with your network on social media.
❖ ❖ ❖
Wishing you a smooth and strong start to the new academic year! Warmly, Rena