First, you need to get your foot in the door by having the proper educational credentials to become a faculty member. This typically means a doctoral degree in whatever. Most end up joining as tenured profs or researchers. You then have to realize that higher educational admin positions are political so you build up your political agenda chart, which includes progression through the admin system. Such as rising to be the department head in your subject, then going on to be a Dean in whatever comes your way.. You then have enough inertia to be launched to the top positions if you played all your cards right.
