Changing culture: developing a framework for leadership capacity development

This chapter presents a framework for the development of leadership capacity in higher education institutions that is underpinned by the concept of distributed leadership; this approach focuses on the development of all members of the institution as leaders, not just those in formal leadership positions. The case study used to illustrate this approach is drawn from an initial program at a regional university in Australia. This program, known as the Faculty Scholars Program, has become embedded in practice at the university. The program empowered a group of academics, who were not in formal leadership positions, to lead key change initiatives within the institution. The chapter describes the pilot program initiated locally and how the program was expanded in 2006-2008 through funding by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council to include three other institutions, with further funding provided in 2009 to expand to two more institutions.