Academic leadership in higher education demands a wide range of competencies due to the multifaceted responsibilities encompassed within higher education, including teaching, research, supervision, publication, consultation, public service, and commercialization. These competencies involve strategic networking and collaboration, strategic planning, values, driving change, and effectively managing and developing the organization. This complexity can make leadership one of the most challenging aspects for institutions of similar scale, primarily due to the many intangible deliverables and the inherent uncertainty involved.
These competencies are of paramount importance because academic leaders have diverse roles and responsibilities. They engage with faculty members who are involved in teaching and learning, research, professional and personal development, and providing support and services to various stakeholders while also managing and administering their departments or faculties.
Effective leaders must possess the ability to focus on the strengths of their team members, facilitating the creation of well-rounded teams and coordinating these diverse strengths. While the primary objective is to lead teams toward specific goals, leaders must also understand the needs of their followers as human beings with responsibilities concerning their own well-being, personal relationships, and their community.
To perform effectively as described, leaders must embody personal traits such as excellent communication skills to clearly articulate goals and provide constructive feedback, high emotional intelligence to address various challenges, empathy toward team members, integrity in wielding authority, and creativity to devise innovative solutions.
Notably, leaders in higher academic institutions must differentiate themselves from others by addressing the freedom of academic activities that foster knowledge and fulfill societal needs. They need to balance the dynamic local and global requirements and potential. To achieve this, they must recognize the diverse contributions of members in alignment with different fields and needs.