This study identifies four patterns of how college presidents (N=32) interpret their own leadership roles and defines them in terms of a president's target of attention, mode of action, and relatedness to college life. It concludes that the presidency is not a singular, objective event but a subjective construction that may be experienced in…

A study identified eight cognitive roles played by college presidents' administrative teams and concluded that the resulting complexity, although difficult to manage, may improve executive-level leadership. Teams with multiple cognitive roles typically include a cognitively complex president, norms favoring cognitive diversity, and varied…

Case studies of two colleges of very different financial status are contrasted to illustrate principles of leadership during both good economic times and difficult times. Visits and interviews at four prospering colleges and four colleges under financial stress were conducted to determine the financial state of each college and the role of…

The paper examines the joint interactive process of top-level administrative leadership teams of colleges or universities, with emphasis on the team's collective thinking. It focuses on how individual team members, who report directly to the president, make sense of their own and each other's activities on the team (for example, by constructing…

The views of 31 college presidents and 29 faculty officers concerning good faculty leadership were studied with a national sample of respondents during 1986-1987. The analysis was part of interviews with persons holding formal leadership positions in a sample of 32 institutions, 8 each of major research/doctoral institutions, state colleges and…