Book excerpt: What makes an academic leader effective? How can the myths surrounding academic leadership induce college presidents to make poor judgments? Can a college president really make a difference in whether an institution is successful in achieving its goals? In this book, Robert Birnbaum reveals the complex factors that influence the real and perceived effectiveness of academic leaders. Drawing on the results of a five-year longitudinal study by the Institutional Leadership Project, he explains how college and university leaders in various types of institutions interact and communicate, assess their own and others' effectiveness, establish goals, transmit values, and make sense of the ambiguous and dynamic organizations in which they work. And Birnbaum tells how presidents can maintain critical constituent support, increase their effectiveness, and ultimately help renew their college's values and spirit.