Leading in Times of Challenge with Jamie Pollard

Jamie Pollard has served as director of athletics at Iowa State University since 2005. Jamie’s administration has achieved many successes, including investing more than a quarter of a billion dollars in facility construction and facility renovations, securing a $25 million gift (the largest ever received by ISU Athletics) and more. Jamie was also chosen to serve on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee in 2019 and was recognized as Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) that same year.

Jamie Pollard’s Leadership Tips

Within the athletic department, Jamie explains how dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic is like running a marathon. In the first couple of weeks there was the adrenaline of focusing on how to conduct business and now that we’ve settled into how to do it, we’re just doing it. 

For him, already having a great culture in place has made his team structured and productive as the “marathon” continues. They’ve focused on specific principles that have helped guide their organization to be ready to reengage post-pandemic. These principles include focusing on the health, wellness and safety of students, staff, etc.; staying aligned with the university; creating accountability and structure in a time when you can get lost quickly; focusing on the long-term play of the pandemic; and finally, deliberately connecting with constituents, family and more. Each of these principles lead back to the predominant idea of communication.

The Leading in Times of Challenge podcast was previously produced by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. To learn more about community events and leadership, check out The Partnership blog.