3.2 The Relevance of Leadership Development
You may have noticed that the term “leadership” seems to be just about everywhere you look lately. If you haven’t, take a closer look around. Our bookstore shelves include popular books on the subject (e.g., Northouse, 2007).
A simple Google search of the term yields an astounding 784,000,000 results! And the interest in leadership extends far beyond popular culture. Increasingly, colleges and universities identify the development of leaders as central to their missions. Over the past ten years many institutions of higher education have begun investing resources into the creation of leadership centers which sponsor a variety of leadership activities and programs, and more recently, universities have begun to establish academic programs dedicated to leadership studies (Bennis & Goldsmith, 1997; Dugan, 2006). So, what is driving this intensive interest in leadership?
One driving factor may be that leadership skills are a highly valued commodity in the workplace. Did you know that employers consistently identify leadership skills as among the top qualities they are seeking in new employees? Every year corporations invest millions of dollars in leadership training and development for their workers (Nelson & Quick, 2009). Another and perhaps even more significant factor may be what some have called a “global crisis of leadership” that is resulting in the deterioration of our corporations, political systems, and communities (Burns, 1978; Gardner, 1990; Bennis & Goldsmith, 1997). Scholars have suggested that this pervasive failure of leadership not only impedes our ability to address many of the urgent problems which threaten our society, but also contributes to an increasing skepticism of leaders in general (Komives, Lucas, & McMahon, 1998). It follows then, that if we hope to improve our world, we must give careful consideration to the ways in which we conceptualize and practice leadership.
Thought Question
- Do you believe that we are experiencing a crisis of leadership in this country? If so, what evidence supports that belief? If not, what is your perception of our current leaders?
- What do you think it takes to develop strong and ethical leaders?
Leadership Development among College Students
Leadership development occurs in various arenas throughout the collegiate environment, but a good deal of what is known about college student leadership development has emerged from the work of scholars and practitioners in various fields related to Student Affairs, College Student Personnel, and Educational Leadership. Dugan (2006) states that the “research has demonstrated that college students can and do increase their leadership skills while in college” (p. 335). And this growth is attributable, in part, to their involvement outside of the classroom, in various types of student organizations and activities. Astin (1993) found a significant correlation between student involvement and leadership development. Studi