ABSTRACT. Over the past decade, there has been increasing evidence describing the difficulties of leading in the university environment, changes in leader roles and organizational practices, and the volatility of the higher education climate. The purpose of this article is to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of leadership for the leader-academic, the management of education change, the nature of leadership for middle-level leader-academics in higher education, and the nature of higher education organizations. The mainstay of the paper is formed by an analysis of the current role of women in higher education, the role of the leader-academic in higher education, the range of responsibilities attributed to the leader-academic role, and the complexities of leveraging preparation program reform in universities. pp. 189–194

Keywords: leadership, management, university, higher education, academic