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The Solution Trap: A Guide to Better Decision-Making for Higher Education Leaders
New learning models. Structural reforms. AI-powered everything. Vendor pitches that promise growth, efficiency, and transformation. Across colleges and universities, leaders are surrounded by solutions. Yet the same problems declining enrollment, rising costs, political pressure, and eroding public trust.
What if the real problem isn’t a lack of solutions? What if it's how decisions get made under pressure?
In The Solution Trap, higher education strategist Dr. Brian Fleming exposes a hidden pattern behind many of the most expensive and disappointing decisions in higher education. Drawing on decades of experience advising colleges and universities, Fleming shows how smart, well-intentioned leaders repeatedly get pulled toward the wrong solutions—not because they’re careless, but because of three powerful lures that shape
The pressure to act before clarity Taking inspiration from what succeeded elsewhere.
Choosing what feels safest in times of uncertaintyThese shortcuts feel responsible in the moment—until you’re explaining a failed initiative, a stalled program launch, or a multi-million-dollar mistake to your board.
Through vivid case studies and practical frameworks, The Solution Trap offers a way out.
What if the real problem isn’t a lack of solutions? What if it's how decisions get made under pressure?
In The Solution Trap, higher education strategist Dr. Brian Fleming exposes a hidden pattern behind many of the most expensive and disappointing decisions in higher education. Drawing on decades of experience advising colleges and universities, Fleming shows how smart, well-intentioned leaders repeatedly get pulled toward the wrong solutions—not because they’re careless, but because of three powerful lures that shape
The pressure to act before clarity Taking inspiration from what succeeded elsewhere.
Choosing what feels safest in times of uncertaintyThese shortcuts feel responsible in the moment—until you’re explaining a failed initiative, a stalled program launch, or a multi-million-dollar mistake to your board.
Through vivid case studies and practical frameworks, The Solution Trap offers a way out.
310 pages, Paperback
Published April 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 24, 2026
During the decade I spent in higher ed, I saw the problems that The Solution Trap describes dozens of times--yet we often lacked the language or framework for how to solve them effectively. Fleming addresses that problem head-on through clear prose, vulnerable storytelling, and insight that comes from his own deep work in the area. Only by understanding the core problem first can teams make productive decisions about the thorny issues facing higher education.
The Solution Trap would be an ideal resource for faculty development, executive teams, and high-potential leaders within higher education. It's an accessible, narrative-driven introduction to organizational theory that practitioners would be remiss to ignore.
The Solution Trap would be an ideal resource for faculty development, executive teams, and high-potential leaders within higher education. It's an accessible, narrative-driven introduction to organizational theory that practitioners would be remiss to ignore.
April 24, 2026
A MUST read for leaders in higher education. Prevent expensive and disappointing decisions at your college or university by learning the patterns of flawed decision making.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews