Abstract
Chapter 1 invites the reader to embark with the authors on a quest to become immersed in an extended deliberative conversation about what it means to lead higher education (HE) in the 21st century as and for public good. It sets the scene by indicating the challenges faced by HE institutions, the super-complexity with which they are obliged to grapple. In order to traverse this rapidly changing landscape, key concepts, a tool kit for the analytical journey, that includes: praxis, institutional orientations, public good, deliberative communication, professional responsibility, web of commitments and legitimate compromise, are briefly introduced to the reader and these are subsequently elaborated on in chapters 2-4. The chapter also draws attention to the roles and responsibilities of Academic Developers, their expanding brief to contribute to the teaching and leading in 21st century universities, while the structure of the text is also indicated.