Academic leadership: management of groups or leadership of teams? A multiple-case study on designing and implementing a team-based development programme for academic leadership

Abstract

Demands on academic leadership are increasing, which raises the need for leadership training. This article describes development and implementation of a group training intervention in academic leadership at a departmental level. Little systematic research has addressed the question of what forms of leadership training are associated with effectiveness of academic leadership teams. This study examined a comprehensive methodological approach including three different data collection methods. The content analysis of the intervention resulted in identification of vital components that are associated with team effectiveness. Here, the findings are considered in relation to the notion of functional role-taking, and their general implications are explored in relation to the possibility of systematically developing academic leadership.

Keywords:

• academic leadership
• team development
• systems-centred training
• GDQ
• indirect leadership