ABSTRACT
This chapter considers business school deans’ leadership styles. It highlights how business school deans acquire new knowledge, understand the rules of the game and develop their leader(ship) behaviours and skills over their tenure. The chapter emphasizes the value of the often overlooked period between individuals accepting and starting a business school deanship. A new dean must learn to uphold the existing academic culture and values by influencing others rather than by adopting a command-and-control approach. The chapter discusses how (aspiring) deans make sense of the role. Opportunities to take on academic leadership roles early in their careers were also helpful in developing skills required for a business school deanship. The chapter also discusses post-deanship trajectories which show how deans sustain legitimacy and impact through continuous personal and professional development.
