Academic leaders: made or born?

Leadership is essential in all organizations and educational institutions are no exception, but the concept of academic leadership is unique in higher education and, arguably, is concerned with leadership that extends beyond the organization into the wider world that higher education institutions seek to serve. Traditional concepts of academic leadership are closely associated with individual excellence. Explores the importance of the contingency model of leadership, which suggests that leadership style might change to accommodate changing and differing environments. The way in which teams function in higher education could be closely matched with the concept of the self‐directed team. The concept of the learning organization as an organization which knows how to transform itself to meet changing circumstances defines specific roles for leaders.