Teaching Leadership

In recent decades, the term “leadership” has devolved into a catch-all for individuals in various fields who seek to redefine management or communication, explore civic responsibilities, develop and market team-building programs, and raise money for patchwork curricula with a “cutting edge” title. Given the nebulousness of the term, many believe that leadership cannot be taught. Others believe that it can—and so they go about the business of “leadership development.” Unfortunately, little has been done to assess what the students of leadership education think about what they''re being taught. This study examined undergraduate students'' perceptions of leadership and leadership education based on their participation in experience-based courses. The effectiveness of teaching basic leadership skills in the context of student organization participation at a major university is analyzed. Differences between males and females and between individuals with different levels of experience in student organizations were also examined. The analysis provides valuable insight for student affairs administrators and others interested in developing effective leadership training curricula.