Women Leaders in Higher Education
This book examines the developed leadership perspectives and capacities of 24 women presidents in the northeastern United States from the lenses of organizational behavior and psychology. Building Madsen’s groundbreaking work (2008), it highlights how these women overcame challenges and biases to reach the presidency. Based on this analysis, the authors present the Women’s Integrative Leadership Development (WILD) model, which integrates and contextualizes the trajectories, relationships, personal characteristics, and leadership skills of the interviewees within an ever-evolving societal landscape.
Ultimately, this book distills the shared elements of successful women leaders, offering a valuable resource for those interested in management, career development, HRD, HRM, and organizational behavior, particularly as there are few validated models of leadership development tailored specifically for women.
Elizabeth Fisher Turesky, Ph.D, MPA, is a Professor in the Leadership and Organizational Studies Program at the University of Southern Maine, USA. Her research focuses on the nexus of experiential learning and leadership development, organizational change and development, and gender and leadership — work that has earned her international recognition through numerous publications and presentations.
Before joining academia full-time, Dr. Turesky consulted across various sectors, focusing on innovative approaches to leadership and organizational development. Her practice centered on cultivating potential among senior and emerging leaders while helping individuals and institutions align their vision, purpose, values, and performance. She remains passionate about nurturing the next generation of leaders, particularly those committed to building inclusive organizational cultures.
Carol J. Nemeroff, Ph.D., is Dean of the School of Leadership Studies at the University of New Brunswick and Principal at the Maine Regulatory Training and Ethics Center, University of Southern Maine. She earned her B.A. from McGill University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is internationally recognized for her research on intuitive, heuristic-based decision-making and its influence on health behaviors, risk perceptions, and moral judgments. Her work spans interpersonal and institutional trust, gender roles, and cultural dynamics.
Currently, her research focuses on metacognitive strategies to improve ethical decision-making and advancing gender and leadership studies. Her scholarship bridges psychology and leadership, offering insights into how cognitive processes shape organizational and societal outcomes.
