This book addresses principles of management and leadership in higher education, particularly leadership at the academic department level. It argues that academic leadership can improve academic outcomes and staff commitment in the current highly competitive and rapidly changing climate of higher education. Emphasis throughout is on the actual experiences of academic leaders, models of leadership, and on empirical research linking academic leadership, departmental environments, and academic outcomes. Following an introductory chapter, the five chapters of part 1 presents theoretical and empirical background information. Chapters address the following topics: leadership challenges in contemporary higher education; academic productivity and the outcomes of higher education; influences on academic work; leadership from the academic's perspective; and six principles of academic leadership. Part 2 shows how these principles can be used to build a leadership improvement plan for a department head. Chapters discuss vision, strategy and planning; issues of motivation, equity, teamwork, and accountability; and performance management, including ways of developing and recognizing staff achievement. The two chapters in Part 3 describe the personal development of an academic leader and examine ways of improving university leadership. The "Leadership for Academic Work" questionnaire is appended. (Contains approximately 125 references.) (DB)