Academic Leadership Skills Development at Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Way Forward

With the increasing challenges of delivering best in class outcome focused education which fulfills the multiple skill development needs of students in the relevant areas, it is imperative for academic leaders to stay agile and showcase best leadership skills to successfully manage the demands of today’s dynamic educational environment. The major objective of the study is to identify the challenges in academic leadership skills development at higher education institutions (HEIs) and propose recommendations for overcoming those challenges and development of systematic academic leadership skills. It also examines the need of fostering systematic skill development initiatives for academic leaders at the HEIs. In this study, a qualitative research approach using a content analysis method was adopted to understand the needs and challenges of academic leadership skill development at HEIs. A systematic framework for academic leadership skills development at HEIs is proposed as an outcome of the study. The study asserts that academic leadership skills development programs for current and aspiring academic leaders should be a continuous process systematically crafted in the culture of every educational institute to nurture and curate academic excellence. It also requires positive communication, sound policy measures and systematic reward process from top management to facilitate the acceptability and successful implementation of such programs at HEIs.