Leadership in higher education : a study to ascertain significant events, experiences, and persons in the development of senior higher education leaders in academic and student affairs

In this study, developmental events, experiences, and people that played a significant role in the development of senior higher education leaders in academic and student affairs were identified. Five themes into which these developmental events were placed were induced. The five themes were: producing results during developmental challenges; taking risks; persisting through challenging situations; dealing with subordinates and constituents; and relating to good bosses/mentors and bad bosses. From these developmental events specific lessons of experience were extracted and themetized. The five categories of lessons of experiences that the participants learned were: Knowledge of Leadership Fundamentals; Knowledge of Others; Knowledge of Role; Knowledge of Self; and Knowledge of Leadership. This study determined that the participants learned to be leaders by being leaders. They learned by watching others, by trying and failing, by accepting challenges, by taking risks. In short, they learned by doing because there was no formal program or process to train or develop them.