Emerging issues in gender and leadership : succession planning and gender equality in Australian universities

Diversity, equality, and inclusion in leadership are critical for innovation and Australia's future. Despite considerable changes to the position of women in public life in advanced economies since second wave feminism, the invisibility of women in leadership has persisted. The under-representation of women in senior leadership, including women from culturally diverse backgrounds, remains a major challenge. This chapter presents a qualitative study of succession planning in relation to gender in Australian universities. The author argues for a longer-term focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion in leadership, and non-traditional leadership, in succession planning, to negotiate the glass ceiling and move towards a more equitable future of work in Australian universities. The author discusses prioritising intersectional approaches and practices of inclusion in leadership succession planning and management, to reveal how barriers to career progression in the neoliberal university, for non-traditional leaders can be dismantled and more equitable futures of work can be reimagined.