Editorial.

With this issue we are pleased to present the first of four special issues of the Journal of Leadership Studies (JLS) made possible through the generous sponsorship of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The theme of this inaugural special issue is Leadership in Higher Education. Over the next three years we will be publishing one special theme issue each year that will focus on a particular aspect of the study and practice of leadership.

As the editors for this JLS special issues series, we accepted the particularly daunting challenge of working against the backdrop of the events on and following September 11, 2001. Our intention was to publish the best and most balanced representation of works among an impressive collection of submitted articles on the theme of this issue. In part, as a result of the events of September 11, we also wanted to encourage readers to reflect on the larger social and personal leadership questions at the core of higher education's various missions.

The global issues of the past several months call into view a new context in which we live and which affects virtually every part of our individual and collective existence. We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the significance and power of this time in our collective history. Arguably, there are fewer moments in contemporary history that cry out for leadership that is decisive, and yet compassionate; future focused, and yet attuned to present realities; clear and certain, and yet open to new and constructive ways of navigating the complexities of our rapidly changing world. Perhaps the greatest leadership reminders from the recent events are that great leadership is both local and global, and so many courageous acts of leadership are absent of public acknowledgement. People from all walks of life engage in important leadership endeavors for so many different reasons and at so many levels of humanity. It would be worth bookmarking this moment in history as a context for the first of four special issues of the Journal of Leadership Studies.

Higher education has a unique role to play in generating socially significant innovations and new knowledge, and fostering habits of conscience to address society's most pressing challenges. This special issue offers a limited, yet rich set of perspectives on some of the leadership challenges, opportunities and activities in higher education. Unlike other issues of the Journal of Leadership Studies, where the interview is placed after the articles, we chose to have the interview with Dr. Donna Shalala, former Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Clinton administration, and current President of the University of Miami as our lead offering. One of few national public servants now leading a major university, President Shalala talks about the importance of leadership in higher education and the unique role higher education plays in contributing to the public good.

Following the interview are the articles that were chosen for this issue. The first, by Stephen Nelson is titled "College Presidents: Voices of Civic Virtue and the Common Good of Democracy" and helps us better understand college and university presidents that engage their institutions from a foundation of civic and democratic values. The next offering, "College Leadership: Learning from Experience," by Dean McGovern, Lenoar Foster and Kelly Ward presents research analyzing the leadership themes articulated by college presidents in their public speeches. This is ...