In this paper, we describe the underlying mechanisms that both facilitate and limit the formation of successful educational leadership of participants of the 'Senior Fellow Programme': a professional development programme in conjunction with a career track leading up to a teaching-focused full professorship. Based on an analysis of the context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configuration, we conclude that three interrelated and interacting mechanisms: (1) recognition, (2) reform, and (3) responsibility steer the way in which the participants can shape their teaching-focused leadership role. These findings may provide useful insight into how educational leadership is formed, even in vastly different contexts and institutional cultures.