Learning from women presidents' journeys.(MOVEABLE TYPE)

Leadership is needed at every level, in every walk of life. Whether you're considering your own leadership journey or developing other women as leaders, you'll find perspective in Dr. Susan R. Madsen's new book, On Becoming a Woman Leader: Learning from the Experiences of University Presidents (Jossey-Bass 2008).

University presidents exemplify leadership success, achieved with skills developed over a lifetime. Madsen, associate professor of management at Utah Valley University, interviewed ten women presidents for two to three hours each.

While their career paths varied, common themes emerged:

* Self-knowledge and self-reflection. These women had a strong sense of self. They knew themselves well, their weaknesses as well as strengths.

* Passion for learning. They learned from every type of experience, including obstacles and failures. They sought out experiences where they could be challenged and learn.

* Desire to make a difference. They sought out meaningful work where they could make a difference. One defined leadership as a "partnership between the leader and his or her followers where together you discover the best in all of you."

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