Leading Low-Resource Institutions: How My Career Built a Blueprint for High-Impact Success
Some of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned in my career did not come from large budgets, unlimited resources, or fully staffed departments. They came from leading athletic programs where every dollar mattered, where creativity replaced funding, and where vision outpaced circumstance.
Working at low-resource institutions forces you to think differently. It makes you sharper, faster, more decisive, and more innovative. And in many ways, it prepares leaders better than any other environment in college athletics.
1. You Learn to Prioritize What Actually Drives Success
With limited resources, you quickly learn what truly moves the needle—student-athlete support, quality coaching, donor relationships, and operational discipline. When resources are tight, you have to make decisions based on impact, not convenience.
2. Fundraising Becomes Personal, Not Transactional
I have been named a Top 10 Fundraising AD nationally twice, and much of that stems from my experience in tough markets. When your department doesn’t have the luxury of established donor pipelines or million-dollar endowments, you learn to truly connect. You learn to inspire belief in the mission, even when facilities, budgets, or traditions lag behind competitors.
3. Culture Isn’t Optional—It’s Everything
At low-resource institutions, you can’t buy culture. You have to build it. You have to lead with clarity, visibility, and consistency. You must instill belief, alignment, and shared ownership of the mission.
4. You Become a Builder, Not a Maintainer
Some leaders inherit programs in cruise control. When you lead a department with fewer resources, you are constantly building—processes, relationships, budgets, partnerships, opportunities. You develop a level of operational savvy that becomes one of your greatest assets.
5. You Learn to Win the Long Game
The scoreboard may not always reflect progress immediately. But growth is measured in trust, alignment, retention, and buy-in. When wins finally come, the impact is profound because so many people contributed to the climb.
My experience at low-resource institutions didn’t hinder my career. It shaped it. It made me a more effective leader, fundraiser, communicator, and strategist—and it strengthened my belief that greatness is possible anywhere when leadership is aligned, resourceful, and relentless.
Further Reading
• Leadership Through Personal Accountability
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/leadership-through-personal-accountability
• Ethical Leadership & Organizational Trust
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/ethical-leadership-accountability
• Executive Leadership Philosophy
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/executive-leadership-philosophy
Look at these two articles from my experience at St. John Bosco:
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/articles/st-john-bosco-student-centered-leadership-wickstrom
https://www.dr-brian-wickstrom.com/articles/st-john-bosco-operational-excellence-wickstrom
