ABSTRACT
Most leadership books will extoll the virtues of having good communication skills, indicating that effective communication skills are attributed to most, if not all, successful leaders in politics, business and education. As seen in several examples presented earlier, poor communication skills or a lack of communication led to the downfall of several academic leaders. Being a successful leader does take more than crafting a positive image. As a leader readers will have ample opportunity to use their power to influence others in their decision-making processes. The national, state, and local political environments continue to become more divisive, creating ever more challenges for individual institutions of higher education and its leaders. One’s administrative personality in conjunction with the type and organizational structure of each institution play a role in determining who works their way to the top.
