Much of the work of colleges and universities gets done at the academic department level. Yet, most institutions of higher learning pay little attention to either the preparation of academic department leaders or their succession into the position. This paper examines the first step taken at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (U.S.A.) to address this mid-level academic leadership preparedness issue. That step: Identify what department chairs need to know to be effective leaders. The authors then outline an approach to department-level leadership preparation based on the data gathered in the multi-level needs assessment effort reported herein and discuss possible implications for like-minded institutions.