Mike’s Points

As I noted in the inaugural “How’d you get there?” story, I’m curious about how successful people became successful — in otherwords, how they got there. Below is the story of Dr. Jeffrey Docking and how he became president of Adrian College, Adrian, Mich. (my alma mater) — about 13 years younger than the average age of new college presidents.

If you want to be considered for the series or know (of) someone who would make a great story, please contact me.

So, as I have learned some valuable lessons from talking with Christine Brennan and Dr. Docking, I hope you will, too.

Mentor, key lessons lead to success for college president
By Michael Driehorst

Sometimes, it seems it takes awhile to “find yourself” – that is, discovering what you want to do in life. Then one day it hits you: Rather than wandering, you realize that everything you’ve done to that point actually was leading you to just the place you intended to go all along.

Dr. Jeffrey Docking (left).
In spring 2005, Dr. Jeffrey Docking, at the still young age of 44, was named the 17th president of Adrian College, Adrian, Mich. That’s no small accomplishment, especially given the fact that the average age of new presidents is 54.7 years, according to a 2002 survey by the American Council on Education.

With achieving such a lofty position at a young age, you would think that Docking focused on that goal throughout his professional life. Read on and discover for yourself.

Pieces of the puzzle
A native of East Lansing, Mich., Docking graduated from Michigan State University in 1983. His first job was as a TV news reporter and part-time anchorman for WFSL-TV (now WSYM) in Lansing. (Actually, his first job was delivering newspapers at the age of 12, but more on that later.)

After one year with WFSL-TV, Docking felt a higher calling than the 6 p.m. news, and joined the seminary to become a minister. Docking earned a master of divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in 1987. After deciding the ministry wasn’t his calling, Docking looked to be a teacher, and attended Boston University. He graduated from BU in 1996 with doctorate in Social Ethics but decided to forego teaching in favor of college administration.

“I’m the opposite of a person with a plan,” Docking said. “But, I realized that all these different pieces were part of the larger puzzle. So, at the age of 35, I finally realized both what I loved and what I was good at. I realized I wanted to be a college president.”

The mentor
Docking’s path to Adrian College president began in 1997 as dean of student affairs at Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, Pa. It was there, in his second year, that he met Brian C. Mitchell who was named the new school president. (Mitchell is now president of Bucknell University.)

“He took a liking to me. Brian asked that, if I would make a commitment to the school for three or four years, he would help me be a college president,” Docking said.

During his time at W&J, Docking was promoted from dean to vice president of student affairs to vice president and special assistant to the president. He traveled to Harvard twice to take classes on leadership. He also shadowed President Jared Cohen at Carnegie Mellon University as an American Council on Education Fellow.

“During my time at W&J, I received exposure to the decision-making process and was involved in all important decisions,” Docking said.

In addition to having a mentor like Mitchell, Docking attributes the following traits and experiences to his success:
Perseverance. Docking’s first lesson in perseverance started on his newspaper route when he was 12, awaking every morning at 6 a.m., 365 days a year. “I always tell my kids that perseverance is the most important word in the English language. Perseverance with an unrelenting tenacity can move mountains.

“Others are more capable, but they don’t have the stick-to-it-iveness; they don’t have the tenacity,” Docking said.

Being “on.” While a reporter with WFSL, Docking often served as the anchor for the news updates between programs. When the camera was on, Docking said he had to be “on – there were no days off.” That has helped him in public speaking and similar situations when he needs to be “on” – no matter what.
RIGHT: Dr. Docking had to be “on” during a September news conference when he announced that the school is breaking ground on the Arrington Ice Arena, a $5.5 million indoor facility.

A good listener. Being a reporter also taught Docking that “being a good listener is more important than speaking. Good presidents are good learners, and we can only learn by listening.”

Be very passionate. “In picking a career, I tell my kids don’t try to figure out what career you want, pick your passion. After I finished my Ph.D., I finally knew what I was passionate about. When I was younger, I couldn’t find my passion. But, once I did find my passion, I never ‘worked’ a day in my life.”

Have a genuine respect for human beings. “No matter the gender or the wealth of a person, assume that all people deserve respect,” Docking said. “That’s been a key ingredient to my success.

“People don’t need to earn respect,” he explained. “You give it to them immediately and then they can only lose it. When you give people respect, they want to work hard for you.”

Another key trait Docking said he has found to be helpful is impatience.

“Patience is the antithesis of getting things done. I want my staff to be impatient. They shouldn’t take no for an answer,” Docking said. “It’s a competitive world, and it’s easy to procrastinate if you are not impatient.”

More goals
While Docking has found and accomplished his professional passion, there are still other goals:
“My professional goals are tied to the institution,” Docking explained. “I’ve been around the students at Adrian College and have taken classes at Harvard, and the people are pretty much the same.

“I want to create a culture of excellence at Adrian College. I want Adrian to be the best small college in Michigan,” Docking said.

Personally, Docking and his wife, Elizabeth, have been married 20 years, and have four children, ages 11-18.
“For better or worse, I’m a worker,” he said. “I’m just as happy every Monday at 9 a.m. as I am at 5 p.m. Friday. I don’t have any specific personal goals except to remain active and involved with my children’s lives and with my wife.”
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