ABSTRACT
Throughout this book, the essential role that leaders play in setting up a university for success has been emphasised: academics fill a vast array of informal and formal leadership roles, ensuring the university can fulfil its mission. However, there are many anecdotes of poor leadership and communities that experience downturns, failure or deeply embedded toxic cultures. Academics benefit from support as they learn to lead or negotiate complex, dynamic contexts. Whether enacting informal roles within the professoriate, as formal leaders with stipulated responsibilities or as members of academic communities, they benefit from engaging with good leadership principles and practice. The capacity to reflect, evaluate and adapt when leading others, and to take responsibility for both process and outcomes, provides a strong foundation for effective leaders.
