Mapping leadership in higher education: An umbrella review of systematic reviews

This umbrella review critically synthesises 19 systematic reviews on leadership in higher education, addressing thematic evolution, geographical representation, methodological rigour, and future research directions. A comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, and Education Source (via EBSCOhost). Data extraction followed a structured template, with thematic synthesis integrating inductive and deductive coding. The results show that publication volume increased notably after 2018, indicating growing interest in evidence synthesis. However, thematic and methodological fragmentation persists. Women's leadership, digital/e‐leadership, and academic/organisational leadership dominate, while crisis leadership and identity‐based leadership remain marginal. The geographical distribution is skewed toward Global North contexts. Methodological inconsistencies, including uneven use of review frameworks and quality appraisal practices, compromise comparability and rigour. These patterns suggest the need for more context‐sensitive, digitally informed, and equity‐oriented approaches in future leadership research. Beyond descriptive mapping, the review offers an interpretive synthesis of how leadership domains are organised and related across the review literature, providing a foundation for more coherent and inclusive scholarship. Context and Implication Rationale for this study: Research on leadership in higher education has grown, but existing reviews remain fragmented across themes, contexts, and methods. Why the new findings matter: This umbrella review synthesises systematic reviews to identify broader conceptual patterns, methodological unevenness, and underexplored areas. Implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers: For researchers, the review offers an integrated framework to support more cumulative, theoretically informed, and methodologically rigorous work. For practitioners, it highlights the interconnected leadership challenges facing higher education. For policymakers, it underscores the need for context‐sensitive leadership development, policy design, and research agendas that address emerging challenges and reduce reliance on fragmented evidence.