Academic Leadership: Prescriptions, Practices and Paradoxes

Ideas from the new public managementphilosophy infusing higher education oftenstress the need for strong and strategicacademic leadership if successful adaptation toa changing environment is to take place. Byshowing some of the challenges facing academicleaders in Sweden and Norway, this articlequestions the wisdom of employing new publicmanagement ideas on leadership during changeprocesses in higher education. It is arguedthat an academic leadership able to attachmeaning to paradoxical situations and toilluminate challenging dilemmas may be a morepromising option for a sector where change inthe years to come will be more the standardsituation than the exception.