Until recently, most of the scholarly work on leadership,
both inside and outside the academy, was conducted
by men and focused on male leaders. As a result,
male behaviors and characteristics in leadership roles
have been the standard against which female leaders
are assessed (Kruse & Prettyman, 2008; Wolverton,
Bower, & Hyle 2009). Male-centric leadership models
and norms have served to limit women’s aspirations
regarding leadership, as well as their access to leadership
roles. The underrepresentation of women in academic
administration suggests that masculine practices and
leadership norms function to exclude women. In terms
of senior administrative positions, only 22% of all
four-year university presidents are women, 40% of
all chief academic officers, and 43% of all other senior
administrators (The Almanac of Higher Education, 2013).
Even fewer women serve in senior administrative roles
at the more research-intensive and prestigious institutions.
Due to this underrepresentation of women and the recent
significant increases in their numbers, far less is known
about the characteristics and experiences of effective
female leaders in higher education. This research probes
the authors’ experiences in long-term administrative
careers as a small step toward redressing the limitations of
scholarship focused on male academic leaders.