Women and Leadership in Higher Education is the first volume in a new series of books (Women and Leadership: Research, Theory, and Practice) that will be published in upcoming years to inform leadership scholars and practitioners. This book links theory, research, and practice of women’s leadership in various higher education contexts and offers suggestions for future leadership development strategies. This volume focuses on the field of higher education, particularly within the context of the United States—a sector that serves a majority of students at all degree levels who are women, yet lacks parity by women in senior leadership roles. The book’s fifteen chapters present both hard facts regarding the current demographic realities within higher education and fresh thinking about how progress can and must be made in order for U.S. higher education to benefit from the perspectives of women at the senior leadership table. The book’s opening section provides data and analysis in addressing “The State of Women and Leadership in Higher Education”; the second section offers descriptions of three effective models for women’s leadership development at the national and institutional levels; the third section draws from recent research to present “Women’s Experiences and Contributions in Higher Education Leadership.” The book concludes with five shorter chapters written by current and former college and university presidents who offer “Lessons from the Trenches” for the benefit of those who follow. In short, the thesis of the book is that our world is changing; higher education collectively, as well as institutions of all types, must change. Bringing more women into leadership is critical to the goal of moving our society and world forward in healthier ways.

Under-representation of women in leadership positions in education is a complex phenomenon. This book asks searching questions such as: Why do we accept male leaders as the norm? What barriers do women seeking leadership face? How do women leaders conceive of their role? How might women's leadership be supported at an institutional level?

"This book aims to give women the frank, supportive advice they need to advance in their careers and to lead with excellence. Based on the author's fifteen years of senior leadership experience at three different colleges and her mentorship work with dozens of women, this book guides women through launching, building, and advancing an academic career"--

The world was dealt a blow that included a pandemic and economic crisis as well as racial unrest, initiating an energized charge for social justice advocacy. The United States is currently facing an unprecedented challenge in ensuring that all citizens live in a fair, inclusive, and opportunity-rich society. These issues have heightened questions about racial justice that have been placated but can no longer be ignored. Marginalized communities cannot thrive if they continue to be oppressed, neglected, disinvested, and isolated from economic opportunity. The culture of allyship needs to be enacted thoughtfully and not performatively to create sustainable change through a critical mass of engaged advocates and activists. Many organizations enable the status quo by not confronting issues around race, gender, and equity. Leaders of color want a seat at the table as highly valued contributors for the transformation of a just and equitable America. By listening to the voices of Black and Brown leaders, the promotion of change in an era of social unrest will finally occur. Black and Brown Leadership and the Promotion of Change in an Era of Social Unrest amplifies the voices of leaders who identify as Black, LatinX, Indigenous, or people of color as they navigate leadership during a time of tumultuous change and social unrest. More specifically, it portrays dilemmas that marginalized communities encounter while advocating for justice and social change within whitestream organizational systems. The chapters delve into the definitions, perceptions, and lived experiences of Americanism, identity, otherness, and racism as it relates to leadership and discusses the issues, dilemmas, struggles, and successes that persons of color experience in leadership roles in business and education. This book is valuable for practitioners and researchers working in the field of social justice leadership in various disciplines, social justice activists and advocates, teachers, policymakers, politicians, managers, executives, practitioners, researchers, academicians, and students interested in how leaders of color can succeed, navigate hostile spaces, and ultimately create a change in mindsets and practices that will lead to justice.

Women leaders and the COVID-19 pandemic are currently trending in the news. Major news outlets are all offering their positive opinions on how world-wide women leaders have addressed the crisis and reassured their people. While this sort of press coverage is certainly uplifting, little to no research has been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of women’s leadership decisions and strategies in these difficult times. In concert with these global struggles resulting from the pandemic are the challenges faced by higher education. Many colleges and universities have all but shuttered their doors and are conducting instruction, student support, and day-to-day business almost completely online. Women academic leaders bear a great load during global crises, with the combination of maintaining work responsibilities and caring for families and personal households. It is shown that women leaders may feel overwhelmed but remain heroes in unprecedented times of crisis. Women and Leadership in Higher Education During Global Crises informs readers and expands their understanding about specific challenges, issues, strategies, and solutions that are associated with women leaders in higher education, the implications during the current pandemic and other natural disasters, and how these strategies can be used for future agility and success. The chapters will cover narratives, strategies, and initiatives that women leaders are using to lead their institutions, departments, sectors, and organizations. It ties together the unimaginable challenges, joys, struggles, and successes encountered by women in leadership in higher education and is ideal for higher education administrators, teachers, leaders, faculty, provosts, deans, program leaders, researchers, academicians, and students interested in both the challenges and successes women leaders in higher education face during global crises.

Gender studies in the professional realm has long been a heavily researched field, with many feminist texts studying topics including the wage gap and family life. However, female administration in higher education remains largely understudied, particularly on the influence of personal, professional, and societal factors on women. There is a need for studies that seek to understand how gender intersects with the multiple dimensions of women leaders' personhoods, such as family status, marital status, age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, to inform women's career path experiences and leadership aspirations. Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Higher Education Leadership is a pivotal reference source that provides vital research on the specific challenges, issues, strategies, and solutions that are associated with diverse leadership in higher education. While highlighting topics such as educational administration, leader mentorship, and professional promotion, this publication explores evidence-based professional practice for women in higher education who are currently in or are seeking positions of leadership, as well as the methods of nurturing women in administrative positions. This book is ideally designed for educators, researchers, academicians, scholars, policymakers, educational administrators, graduate-level students, and pre-service teachers seeking current research on the state of educational leadership in regard to gender.

For hundreds of years, different leadership theories have been explored to try to explain exactly how and why certain people become great leaders. Research spans a discussion of personality traits, the characteristics of the situation at hand, and qualifications of the leader to try to determine what causes people to become more likely than others to take charge. This can be in various settings: CEOs, presidents and prime ministers, managing directors, governors, senators, head coaches, and more. Through the examination of first-time leadership, new theories and ideas on leadership are explored. The Handbook of Research on Innate Leadership Characteristics and Examinations of Successful First-Time Leaders is a comprehensive reference source that focuses on what qualities distinguish first-time leadership from traditional leaders, while furthering leadership theories that look at other variables such as situational factors, knowledge base, skill levels, etc. It reviews the various approaches used by first-time leadership and how each of them uniquely approaches effective leadership, key outcomes, and the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Furthermore, it distinguishes between the traditional route for leadership, the gradual moving up of an individual over time to higher positions, and a first-time leadership in which an individual begins right away in a position without climbing the professional ladder. This book will attempt to draw lessons from existing first-time leadership experience and provide evidence for the appropriateness of such a route to leadership. Topics highlighted include transformational leadership, political leaders, ethical and unethical leadership, and leadership development. This book is ideal for young professionals, leaders, executives, managers, graduate students, practitioners, government officials, researchers, academicians, and students.