Building the Case for Leadership Development
“We must raise our search for new leadership to a national priority. We desperately need women and men who can take charge. Our present crisis calls out for leadership at every level of society and in all organizations that compose it.”
--Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus
Becoming More Than Knowledgeable
In today’s marketplace, no matter what your focus, it is not enough to be “knowledgeable,” or simply make the grade. If they want to succeed, students of all ages need a firm understanding of what will contribute to their long-term effectiveness and success. At UVU and the CAL, we believe this is the essence of leadership.
While there are hundreds of definitions of leadership, the director of The Center for the Advancement of Leadership sees leadership as “The ability to influence, direct, and manage oneself and others in the pursuit of meaningful individual, group, and organizational objectives.” We recognize that leadership begins with the mastery of self (Personal Leadership), the development of interpersonal skills (Interpersonal Leadership), the development of leadership within the context of one’s life’s work (Organizational Leadership), and the capacity to dedicate oneself to serve others within a variety of life arenas. We call this “Civic/Service Leadership.”
With these four dimensions in place, we see leadership as a process of self-mastery that increases one’s “circle of influence” (Covey, 1989) to affect human progress. This view of leadership suggests that individuals can influence personal change at the physical, emotional, psychological, philosophical, and spiritual levels (Jackson, 2003), followed by change at the interpersonal, organizational, and greater community levels.
This holistic leadership development model is well grounded in research. Studies of athletes, surgeons, business executives, artists, police and fire departments, soldiers, and other performers continue to support that performing at one’s personal best, or self leadership, is a product of full-engagement (Loehr & Schwartz, 2003), personal excellence (Orlick, 1990)—even flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
On both a personal and interpersonal level, a case can be made for the development of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) (Goleman, 1995). Emotional Intelligence is often a better predictor of career advancement than either knowledge or IQ as individuals compete in an increasingly competitive world that demands greater skills of resiliency and the capacity to work more closely with a more diverse workforce.
Both anecdotal and real evidence suggest that individuals are often hired for their professional or technical competencies, yet often fail to succeed or advance because of their lack of personal and interpersonal skills (Lussier, 2003; Zenger & Folkman, 2002). Whether in the classroom or the boardroom, the playing field or the factory, personal and interpersonal leadership skills, in combination with one’s academic and professional training, provide the essential ingredients to discover one’s true leadership potential.
Because of such overwhelming evidence, it is important that students of all ages begin to think beyond their academic and professional training and include the knowledge and skills that will help them develop their leadership capacities.
In contrast to historical assumptions that leaders are born, modern research suggests that leadership potential can be developed (Lussier, 2003). According to some researchers, it may be essential to develop these skills early (Sorcher & Brant, 2002) and often (Komives, Lucas & McMahon, 1998). To help students get the head start they need, The Center for the Advancement of Leadership (CAL) offers a multi-dimensional approach to leadership development, including theoretical, practical and applied knowledge within the personal, interpersonal, organizational, and civic/service arenas. The CAL offers programs for students of all ages, from grade school students to the corporate executive—recognizing that “leadership is everybody’s business” (Kouzes and Posner, 2002).
In the pursuit of developing leadership within all age groups, our programs include:
* A comprehensive Leadership Certificate program
* Integrated Studies program with an emphasis in leadership
* High School Concurrent Enrollment program
* “Why Try” program for junior high school students
* “No Greater Heroes” program for grade school students
* Annual Leadership Conference for high school and college students
* Professional Leader Development Series for local organizations
* Leadership and management consulting services for local organizations
* Research and development opportunities for faculty and students
The CAL serves more than 50,000 students per year, promoting leadership, character, and life-skill education to students of all ages.
More than ever, today’s organizations and communities need visionaries. They need individuals who are willing to step up, lead, and make a difference. The Center for the Advancement of Leadership will help you in this personal and professional quest.
“What we desperately need today on all fronts—in our homes and communities, in schoolrooms and boardrooms, and certainly throughout society at large—are leaders, men and women who are willing to stand for something…Never in the history of the world has there been a more profound need for leaders of principle to step forward.
--Gordon B. Hinckley
References:
Covey, S. R. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people. New York: Fireside.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow. New York: Harper Collins.
Jackson, B. H. (2003). In search of peak experiences through life: Understanding the arenas and strategies for replicating the flow experience--a developmental perspective. Doctoral Dissertation. The Fielding Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, CA.
Komives, S., Lucas, N. & McMahon, T. (1998). Exploring leadership: For college students who want to make a difference. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2002). The Leadership Challenge (3rrd Ed). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Loehr, J. E. & Schwartz, T. (2003). The power of full engagement: managing energy, not time, is the key to high performance and personal renewal. New York: Free Press.
Orlick, T. (1990). In pursuit of excellence. Champaign, Illinois: Leisure Press.
Sorcher, M. & Brant J. (2002). Are you picking the right leaders? Harvard Business Review, Feb, 78-85.
Lussier, R.T. (2003). Management Fundamentals. Mason, Ohio: South-Western.
Zenger, J. & Folkman, J. The Extraordinary Leader. New York: McGraw-Hill.