As challenges facing higher education continue to evolve, there is a need for colleges and universities to develop administrative leadership. Current activities tend to be limited, although there are a number of association and institutionally sponsored programs that serve limited populations. The current discussion focused on reviewing the research-based literature on academic leadership development, with particular focus on land grant universities. The literature reviewed demonstrated that there are clear ideas about what to include in leadership development, but that institutions typically fail to engage in meaningful succession planning. Although a number of university leaders have begun to recognize the need to train the next generation of leaders, these programs are typically individual-driven and not institutionalized.