Patching Up the “Leaking Leadership Pipeline”: Fostering Mid-career Faculty Succession Management

The research presented here contributes to research and practice focused on faculty leadership development by examining the leadership pipeline for mid-career faculty in a consortium of 13 liberal arts colleges. Research findings revealed that mid-career faculty members are in the leadership pipeline, with the department chair position serving as an entry point. However, leadership aspirations beyond the department chair position decline serving as a source of the leaking leadership pipeline. Differences were found by gender. Further, issues of lack of preparation for current and future leadership roles was connected to few mid-career faculty members aspiring to executive leadership positions. Implications for research and practice are discussed.