Leadership Challenges in Universities: Balancing Academia and Administration

Abstract

This study explores the leadership challenges university leaders face in balancing academic excellence and administrative demands in Lahore, Pakistan. Employing a qualitative case study design within an interpretivist paradigm, the research gathered data through semi-structured interviews with university leaders and senior faculty members from public and private universities. Thematic analysis revealed four major leadership challenges: conflict between academic values and managerial expectations, time management and role overload, faculty resistance to managerial initiatives, and lack of formal leadership training. Faculty and administrators perceived leadership effectiveness as being strongly linked to leaders' continued academic engagement, transparency, and participatory decision-making practices. Leaders disconnected from teaching and research, or focused primarily on administrative compliance, were viewed negatively. Strategies proposed to enhance leadership effectiveness include promoting collaborative leadership and shared governance, providing leadership development programs, balancing administrative and academic roles, and delegating operational tasks to train support staff. Findings highlight the critical need for leadership models that are context-sensitive, participatory, and academically grounded rather than purely bureaucratic. This study contributes to the limited body of research on university leadership in Pakistan and offers practical recommendations for building resilient, academically vibrant higher education institutions. The research emphasizes that to achieve sustainable growth, university leadership must evolve from compliance-centered models toward more inclusive, strategic, and academically driven frameworks.