Eureka! Institutional Repository

Higher education leadership is a critical factor of the performance of academic institutions, influencing the effectiveness of administration, the quality of academic and research work, and the learning achievements of the student community. Until today, various models of educational leadership that apply to higher education have been developed, including hierarchical, distributive, participatory, and administrative leadership. At the same time, more and more universities around the world are currently implementing innovative leadership practices based on the tradition of collegialism and the involvement of all interest groups in vision formation and decision-making. The aim of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of leadership in higher education, focusing on the case of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) compared to universities abroad operating in the USA, Australia and Europe. According to the analysis carried out, the leading model applied in AUTH is a hybrid model of administrative, pedagogical and participatory leadership, focusing on the quality of research, the provision of differentiated curricula and the internationalized nature of the institution. However, the AUTH falls short of some good practices applied at universities abroad, where internationalization, adoption of business practices and the distribution of powers to lower hierarchical ranks are key elements of leadership.