Effective leadership is a fundamental impetus for achieving organizational success and fostering a motivated, prompt, and high-performing team. The significance of Leadership Effectiveness (LE) has been extensively discussed in literature over the past few years but there hasn't been much empirical research on leadership development in Pakistani higher education. In this quantitative study, the relationship between formal developmental experiences and leadership effectiveness was examined in relation to the mediating role of leadership self-efficacy. A 15-item scale to measure the three research variables was employed in five private sector universities in Karachi city. The sample population included a total of 300 administrative members from higher education institutions including the Dean, Head of Departments, and Departmental Coordinators. Data were analysed using SEM analysis on Smart PLS software. Results of the study indicate the mediating effect of leadership self-efficacy and effectiveness. It was recommended that post-managerial development programs should be encouraged for effective management of teaching-learning processes.