| This research explores the leadership skills important to the growing leadership roles of middle managers in higher education and examines strategies designed to promote the development of these skills. The study focuses on the perceived purposes and effects of the Management Development Program (MDP) of Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management, a program designed to promote leadership development for collegiate middle managers.;The data suggested that specific techniques and skills are not needed by middle managers, but enhancement in the craftsmanship and art of leadership are sought. The "skills" associated with developing this art include: an analytic ability to frame experience for a group; influence and communication skills to articulate such "framing" of the past, present and future; and human relations ability which facilitates the establishing of trust and the ongoing social interaction process between the leader and the group.;Embracing both formal (content) and informal (social support and networking) purposes of MDP, the planners of MDP designed a program based on the case method, which provided an arena for middle managers to experiment with constructing different angles and proposed actions to challenges these participants face. The program was viewed as highly effective by participants, and the benefits acknowledged were seen as due to interaction with other participants, use of the case method in formal classes, and the overall program climate.;The MDP program provides a practice world where participants learn to deal more effectively with ambiguous problems of practice. One key contribution of MDP to leadership development has to do with enhancing middle managers' perspective flexibility by increasing participants' skill in analyzing, framing, and naming experience in higher education contexts. Since the management of meaning for a group and helping a group deal with uncertainty and ambiguity are among key functions of a leader, the experience of the MDP program does shed light on effective leadership development of mid-level administrators.;The research strategy for answering these questions was an embedded single case study, which used both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data collection consisted or pre- and post-survey ratings of leadership skills by 85 program participants and a comparison group of mid-level administrators; interviews with MDP participants and faculty; participant observation of all program activities; and document analysis of various program materials and course evaluations. |
