This study examined vertical segregation in Mongolian public universities, making the formation of the glass ceiling visible. Due to its socialist foundation, the Mongolian university sector has long been masculinized, wherein the two systems of socialism and democracy exist simultaneously, and this coexistence is "clumsy" rather than harmonious. Hence, there are two isolated paths towards investigating gender and leadership practices in this sector: political appointments of senior leadership positions from the government and the collegial type of elections in middle management. This study has focused on the more democratic practices of elections in middle management. The main goal of this study was to define what factors the voters/academics consider when they evaluate the candidates competing for leadership positions in Mongolian public universities. A total of 312 academics from Mongolian public universities participated in the survey. The results indicated that academic leadership positions were seen as more of an academic duty rather than a leadership responsibility. Interestingly, males and politically affiliated academics tended to strengthen the masculinized culture, perpetuating the practice of the "Boys' Club" in academia.