Integrative perspectives on longitudinal investigations of leader development: From childhood through adulthood (original) (raw)
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Introduction to the special issue: Longitudinal studies of leadership development
The Leadership Quarterly, 2011
This introduction provides an overview of The Leadership Quarterly special issue on Longitudinal Studies of Leadership Development. The purposes of the special issue were to highlight research on the precursors of adult leadership, and to emphasize the importance of longitudinal designs and long-lens approaches to the study of leadership. In addition to shedding light on variables that impact the development of leadership, many of the studies in this special issue make use of important longitudinal databases that can be tapped for future research on leadership development across the lifespan.
The Leadership Quarterly, 2011
The developmental trajectories of participants (N = 1315) engaged in team-based action learning projects (k = 205) to promote leader development were estimated using two classes of growth modeling techniques. Evidence was found in support of differences in the initial leadership effectiveness levels across participants as well as differences in the shape or form of their personal trajectories. Based on recent theorizing on leader development (Day, Harrison, & Halpin, 2009), it was predicted that adopting a leader identity would serve as a within-person, time-varying covariate of leadership effectiveness and that goal orientation would serve as a between-person, cross-level moderator of the personal change trajectories. Results suggested full support for the role of leader identity and partial support for goal orientation. The results of growth mixture modeling analyses revealed two distinct latent classes of developmental trajectories that could be distinguished empirically by one type of adult development processes (i.e., selection). Results are discussed in terms of advancing leader development science and practice, especially with regard to the insights gained from charting and understanding leaders' developmental trajectories.
Advances in leader and leadership development: A review of 25years of research and theory
The Leadership Quarterly, 2014
The development of effective leaders and leadership behavior is a prominent concern in organizations of all types. We review the theoretical and empirical literature on leader and leadership development published over the past 25 years, primarily focusing on research published in The Leadership Quarterly. Compared to the relatively long history of leadership research and theory, the systematic study of leadership development (broadly defined to also include leader development) has a moderately short history. We examine intrapersonal and interpersonal issues related to the phenomena that develop during the pursuit of effective leadership, describe how development emerges with an emphasis on multi-source or 360-degree feedback processes, review longitudinal studies of leadership development, and investigate methodological and analytical issues in leader and leadership development research. Future research directions to motivate and guide the study of leader and leadership development are also discussed.
Investigating the Development of Adolescent Leadership Potential: A Longitudinal Case Study
2017
My doctoral research project explored the development of adolescent leadership potential within a secondary Catholic school in Perth, Western Australia. Previous research efforts that looked at adolescent leadership did so by examining the perspectives of adults and children using a "snapshot" approach, but the longitudinal design of this project was chosen intentionally to investigate how leadership developed over time. Located within the interpretive paradigm, a 3-year longitudinal case study framed the data collection process. Data were collected from the staff and students most closely involved in a school-based student leadership development program through the exercise of four qualitative research methods. The methods included conducting semi-structured interviews, performing an extensive document search (of published literature and written communication at the school), taking researcher field notes (both in and out of interviews), and regularly maintaining a reflective field journal. These methods helped the researcher inductively conceptualize how one school-based program contributed to the development of adolescent leadership potential of participating students. Learning Outcomes By the end of this case, students should be able to • Describe some benefits and limitations associated with longitudinal research • Affirm the importance of using multiple methods of data collection (i.e., triangulation) to enhance a longitudinal project's trustworthiness • Develop an appreciation for the practicalities of various qualitative research methods within a longitudinal case study • Appreciate how longitudinal research can heighten ethical issues present in other investigations Case Study Purpose of Research The purpose of my doctoral study was to investigate how one Western Australian Catholic secondary school developed leadership potential in its young adolescents (aged 15-18 years) and to discern what kind of leaders were being produced through its efforts. The five specific research questions that directed and underpinned the focus of the study explored how the key participants of the study-namely, the elected student leaders and key staff-perceived and understood the program of student leadership development currently implemented at the school. These questions were predominantly concerned with the experienced reality of the program as perceived by the participants and were grounded in their subjective understanding of the diverse transactions that constituted the "lived experience" of the program in practice. The chief focus of this study was to obtain explicit, personally expressed accounts from the participants themselves about student leadership and student leadership development. Inquiries were made to illuminate what was expected of student leaders in their elected positions, what these leaders understood about themselves, and the development that had taken place as a result of their involvement in the existing leadership program.
Leadership Development: An Outcome-Oriented Review Based on Time and Levels of Analyses
Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 2015
Contemporary organizations face critical challenges associated with possessing and leveraging leadership capabilities. Researchers studying leadership development have responded to this practical imperative, although research on the topic is still in the early stages of scientific development. In assessing the state of the science in leadership development, we review an array of theoretical and research approaches with the goal of stimulating thoughtful intellectual discourse regarding fundamental questions, such as, what is leadership, and what is development. We highlight the breadth of this phenomenon by reviewing theory and research that has considered the development of leadership in individuals, dyads, and teams/organizations. Additionally, we describe a set of proximal and distal signs that indicate leadership may be developing, and we promote experiences, interventions, and interactions as factors that enhance the leadership development process.
Leadership-shaping experiences: a comparative study of leaders and non-leaders
Leadership & …, 2009
Purpose -By comparing "leaders" with "non-leaders" the current research attempts to shed light on the impact of early experiences on leaders' development. Design/methodology/approach -The study is presented in two parts, quantitative and qualitative. In the first (quantitative) part, a group of soldiers perceived as leaders was compared with a group of soldiers perceived as non-leaders, in order to examine the hypothesis that leaders have had more leadership experiences than non-leaders. Confirmation of this hypothesis led to the qualitative part, in which the sense in which the reported experiences had contributed to leadership development was explored. Findings -The leaders proved to have had more leadership experiences than non-leaders in their youth. Such experiences impact on self-perception as a leader, the development of self-efficacy in leadership, and the accumulation of psychological and behavioral knowledge related to the manifestation of leadership. Practical implications -Conceptually, the study adds knowledge regarding leadership development via natural experiences, particularly experiences that occur in early periods of life. Practically, the study adds knowledge that can improve selection processes of leaders, as well as knowledge that can be applied to leaders' development, particularly reflective methods. Originality/value -The contributions of this study are methodological, conceptual, and practical. The study offers methods and instruments to assess leadership and distinguish leaders from non-leaders..