University leadership is considered as a key factor in university development. In a competitive environment, the role of university leadership has become increasingly important. At present, China is committed to building world-class universities, and university leadership is one of the key factors. Thus, what is the ideal university leadership in China's institutional environment? What professional qualities should university leaders have? This study investigates this issue with in-depth interviews of 14 '985 Project' university leaders. Finding shows that the definition of leadership by Chinese university leaders reflects a relatively strong moralistic orientation, where morality and ability are considered important. Furthermore, morality is often supposed to be more important than ability. In terms of competence, the definitions of leadership by Chinese university leaders and the literature on Western university leadership have some similarities and differences. Chinese universities are managed by the two systems of the party committee and the administration. The division of labour between the two systems is unclear and prone to conflicts. Therefore, the attitude and ability to cooperate has become an important attribute among university leaders.