In this thesis, in which I use the stand-alone paper format, I employ a Foucauldian lens to examine Alberta’s Future Leaders (AFL), an Aboriginal youth leadership development program. In the first paper, I identify how power relations shape AFL, including its ambitions and struggles towards developing sustainable programming. In the second paper, I examine AFL’s cross-cultural approach to mentorship and the ways in which failing to address issues of culture (re)produces colonial relations of power. Overall, my findings highlight the importance of recognizing and problematizing the power relations at work within Aboriginal youth leadership development initiatives.

The paper explores the complex nature of the postmodern world in which leaders find themselves and questions the appropriateness of the current discipline-based structure of MBA education in terms of its usefulness to develop effective postmodern leaders. What is called for is an approach to problem solving that is heuristic and also a tolerance for the temporal nature of solutions, flexibility, and multiple perspectives and inputs. Transdisciplinarity, which focuses on bringing together these different perspectives, provides a useful platform where developing leaders can engage with the dynamic and complex environment of a postmodern era. The nature of transdisciplinarity, from the perspective of a number of theorists, is presented. Furthermore, synergies between the transdisciplinary approach and the nature of postmodern leadership are identified and analysed. The paper examines synergies between transdisciplinarity and other scientific paradigms such as social constructivism, critical management theory, postmodernism, social cognitive theory, critical pedagogy, systems theory, complexity theory, cybernetics, narrative psychology, critical reflexivity, and others. The methodology is qualitative and involves the observation of a number of lecturing sessions at Business Schools in the United Kingdom, United States and South Africa, with the objective of noting whether any elements of transdisciplinary learning are evident. These observations are followed up with individual interviews with selected lecturers. The paper concludes with an analytical discourse on the value that a transdisciplinary andragogy can add to leadership development, particularly in relation to assisting students with embracing the complex challenges of leading in a postmodern era. The paper concludes that there is a significant lack of alignment with the prevailing approach to learning methodology in MBA programs and the nature of the postmodern world. The research recommends that a transdisciplinary learning methodology has a great deal to offer in terms of providing a learning environment for an emerging leader, that will equip him or her to be effective in a postmodern environment. Tools and methodologies for implementing a transdisciplinary approach to leadership development are suggested and outlined in some detail. / Psychology / (Ph. D. (Industrial and Organizational Psychology))

The purpose of this case study is to examine how talent management is applied in a university environment and how development in leadership skills for the participants of a project affects their willingness to stay at the university. This study also highlights the purpose of using a strategy like talent management to keep key people in the organization to stay and also that theories about talent management needs to be complete with theories about loyalty and commitment. This is done through examining the project Real-- Research and Leadership that the University of Umeå provided for 21 researchers and the first round of the project took part between 2015 and 2016. The purpose of this project is to work as a supporting instance for the researcher’s research career in an long term goal to get the young prominent researchers to stay and keep working at the University. To do so, ReaL, as the project is commonly called, offered the researchers a course with the possibility to develop their leadership abilities that would help them in their future research career. But also to introduce them to interdisciplinary contacts in an attempt to broaden their research network and to give them an increased general knowledge sharing. The data gathering for this study was partly done through surveys that were handed out to the participants at the last day of the course and by interviews with selected participants from the course. The quantitative results of the study show that the participants showed a positive feeling against the impact on the participant’s willingness to stay at the University of Umeå and that the support for their research careers and an enhance in their ability in communication and conflict management was highly contributed towards their willingness to stay at the university. ReaL as a support tool for the participants was also a highly contributed factor for their willingness to stay. The Qualitative results on the other hand shows a more complex situation. Even thou that the project had a positive impact, other external factors paid more contribution to the researcher’s willingness to stay then what the quantitative results shows. These factors were the layout of the city of Umeå, their family situation and their partner’s works situation.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / This study shows the importance of decision-making skills in a military leader. Different models of decision-making are examined, and effective ways to teach decision making are presented. If, as the literature shows, decision making is an important skill for an officer, one would assume that the United States Naval Academy (USNA) would have a well-defined, clearlyarticulated program that ensures its graduates are, in fact, well-trained in decision making; this study tests that assumption. It presents what the Naval Academy's senior leadership's goals and priorities are for developing midshipmen as decision makers. The study also determines the value placed on decision-making abilities by those primarily responsible for midshipmen's professional development, and how well they believe the Naval Academy prepares midshipmen for the decision-making responsibilities they will face as officers. Opportunities for midshipmen to make decisions are identified, and midshipmen were asked how well they think the Naval Academy prepares them to be decision makers. The findings of this study assess the extent to which the Naval Academy presently develops decision-making skills in its midshipmen. / Major, United States Marine Corps

Concepts such as positive youth development, leadership self-efficacy, and social intelligence are salient to understanding how transformational leadership behaviors manifest in adolescents. The Youth Transformational Model exhibited in the current study establishes the positive relationship that leadership exposure (leadership experience and/or having a formal leadership role), leadership self-efficacy, and social intelligence have with transformational leadership skills (i.e. inspirational motivation and individualized consideration). High school-aged members of a youth leadership organization (N = 142) completed a survey on leadership factors and social intelligence. Leadership self-efficacy was the central component to the relationship between leadership exposure and behaviors. While having a formal leadership role was positively associated with leadership experience and self-efficacy, only leadership experience was related to leadership self-efficacy, social intelligence, and transformational leadership skills. Leadership self-efficacy and social intelligence partially mediated leadership experience and transformational leadership skills’ relationship. These findings suggest that acquiring formal titles and power do not automatically translate to being a considerate and motivational leader. Female participants possessed more positive leadership experiences and higher transformational leadership skills compared to males, yet the literature does not reflect the current findings. Transformational leadership encourages young people not to lead forcibly or from a distance, but to lead by example, care about others’ needs, be motivational, and bring out the best in people. Results highlight the importance of leadership training programs and opportunities for adolescents.

Abstract MAKING LEADERS: EXAMINING HOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS DEVELOP AN UNDERSTANDING OF LEADERSHIP AND SHOW EMERGING LEADERSHIP TENDENCIES By Sarah E. Evans, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2014 Director: Whitney Sherman Newcomb, Ph.D. Professor, Educational Leadership The purpose of this study was to understand how young children develop skills and concepts of leadership, when nurtured in a developmentally appropriate manner. Leadership was defined as a process that people use to bring out the best in themselves and others, while working towards a common purpose. This study examined a leadership curriculum, The Leader in Me, as it was being taught in an elementary school, grades K-5. The researcher used a qualitative lens to understand parents’ and teachers’ perceptions of the program, and the study findings indicated that The Leader in Me was used as both a way to teach leadership and for behavior modification. Teachers reported teaching leadership through direct instruction, informal instruction, curriculum materials, and practice. In addition, the children’s leadership behaviors were analyzed through the transformational leadership model to find The Leader in Me resulted in attempting to make transformational leaders. The children showed signs of transformational leadership through the behaviors of the 4 I’s: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. The data further showed positive gains in school culture, leadership development, and personal growth. Standardized testing pass rates were examined, but the researcher found the leadership program had no discernable impact on student achievement. This study found that there is merit in looking to our nation’s educational system to support the intentional process of developing leaders in schools. Keywords: leaders, leadership, leadership development in children, The Leader in Me, 7 Habits, transformational leadership

The purpose of this study was to explore how and to what degree student involvement in a leadership program prepares them for responsible citizenship. Specifically, this multi-case investigation explored the differences between how curricular and co-curricular leadership development programs approach citizenship development. Students' perspectives and experiences were collected through interviews. Document review and interviews with program administrators were also conducted during the data collection process. A case report for each leadership development program was compiled in order to manage all raw data collected. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed for analysis. Data analysis included cross-case analysis, partially ordered meta-matrices, and the use of taxonomies. The results of the study may provide student affairs administrators with empirical based knowledge regarding student values that will offer guidance and recommendations in altering program structure in order to prepare students be active citizens in their community.

The research on the topic of leadership has long been the area of interest for scholars for many decades. Despite the extensive amount of literature available there is still a gap when it comes to research about the role of student organization in the leadership development of an individual. This thesis project, therefore, is designed in order to gain deeper understanding of the potential effect of a student organization on the leadership development of a student who took leadership position within student organization.  This ambition was accomplished through qualitative research with semi-structured interviews conducted in a case study of Erasmus Student Network. The results of the research have revealed certain link between the leadership development and person’s participation in the activities of student organization. Additionally, cultural aspect has been identified as the important factor of the organization. As the result of our findings, we may conclude that there is a positive correlation between student organizations providing a good opportunity for students to test their leadership abilities in a safe environment, while it was not possible to identify the extent of that impact on the leadership development of an individual.  We believe that our research may add value to the theoretical knowledge on the leadership topic in the context of student life while giving an opportunity for the reader to use the findings of this study as a practical information and guidelines for potential of student organization to have an impact on the future of an individual.

Thesis advisor: Dorothy A. Jones / Understanding Chief Nurse Executive (CNE) influence is essential for the discipline of nursing. There are approximately 5000 CNEs in the United States, all are tasked with being the primary identifiable leader representing organizations in which they are employed and the nursing profession of which they are a part. In this capacity, the CNE is the gatekeeper for the advancement of the majority of the 2.4 million nurses practicing in the U.S. Literature suggests that early CNEs lacked influence and often were not recognized members of organizational executive teams. Today, after two decades of struggle, CNEs are identified as essential executive team members. However, they still self identify as being less influential than their C-suite counterparts, leaving us to question, "Having gotten to the table, now what?" This study was designed as an initial step toward answering this question through Validation of the Adams Influence Model (AIM). The AIM is a framework that can be used to understand the influence of the CNE in the acute care setting. The study exposed the AIM to a qualitative data set collected as part of an academic medical center's Survey of the Professional Practice Environment. Directed content analysis was used to categorize survey responses and identify influence content toward validation and refinement of the AIM's operational definitions. Study results validated AIM influence factors and influence attributes with some refinement. In addition to development of a refined AIM, study findings also helped identify continued research opportunities. These research potentials included the exploration of; influence instrument development, the influence process, differences between influence and power, and the relationship between CNE influence, practice/ work environments and patient outcomes. As a discipline, nursing must continue to understand the influence of the CNE. These individuals are leading the profession, at what pace and in what direction cannot be left to chance. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2008. / Submitted to: Boston College. Connell School of Nursing. / Discipline: Nursing.

Mentorship and previous leadership experiences have been found to serve as factors that contributed to counseling professionals becoming leaders. Historical influences, life philosophy, identity, and resilience also shaped leaders and guided leadership practices. Critical incidents (e.g., difficulties or successes in organizational management or addressing ethical issues); however, are also significant experiences that are considered “a powerful source of counselor development.” To date, researchers have explored critical incidents in counseling graduate students’ training. However, there were no studies that have focused exclusively on the role of critical incident experiences of nationally appointed or elected counselor leaders. Thus, it was not necessarily clear how such incidents contribute to or impede the development of counselor leaders. Therefore, the aim of this grounded theory study was to qualitatively explore critical incidents using the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews to explore experiences that have influenced the counselor leaders’ development, practices, and effectiveness. Findings from this study represent the experiences of fourteen national leaders in the counseling profession. The present study contributes to the growing literature on counseling leadership and counseling leadership development. Specifically, the Model of Counselor Leaders’ Development and Meaning Making of Significant Experiences (MCLD) seeks to explain counselor leaders’ experiences in leadership. The overall premise of this model is that the following five components are interconnected and ultimately lead to outcomes within the organization and with the leaders’ own growth and development: Personal Factors, Professional Factors, Culture and Climate of Organization, Leader’s Knowledge and Skills, and Decision-Making and Problem-Solving.