The author explores Gordon Gee's career as a university president. There is a special focus on the journey Gee made between 1990, when he first became president of The Ohio State University, to 2007, when he returned to Ohio State for another term as university president ten years later. During this time away from Ohio State, he served as the president (or chancellor) of both Brown University and Vanderbilt University. Data are reviewed from these presidencies, as well. Individual discourse, professional discourse, and organizational discourse were examined through a variety of data, including discourse analyses of the speeches given by Gee in the early days of each of these four presidencies. The dissertation provides a model, The Triangle of Leadership Discourse, which serves to illustrate the necessary balance of discourses which must remain in harmony with one another for the tenure of leadership to be successful. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]