What is Leadership Development?
As times change, we look for, and leaders emerge. -Ken Blanchard
Change is rampant in today’s world. As of the year 2000, only ½ of the workforce in industrialized countries hold conventional full-time jobs. A weekly edition of the NY Times contains more information than a person came across during their entire life in 17th century England. A musical birthday card has more computer power than existed in the entire world prior to 1950. During the 1980’s, 46% of the Fortune 500 companies disappeared. There are many definitions of leadership. One would only have to go to the local bookstore to find the number of books and magazines, or surf the web to discover the number of websites that differently define this concept. In the book, Leadership Theory and Practice: Second Edition, (2001, p.3), a popular leadership theory text used in many agriculture leadership theory courses, Peter Northouse defined leadership as "…a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” For many of us who consider ourselves leadership educators, this is a commonly adopted definition and one with which we are very familiar.
Why Leadership?
A growing need for leadership development is evident in the shifting demographics of today’s society, as well as in the changing nature of the social and economic issues people are asked to address. Demographic shifts and economic restructuring threaten to dramatically alter the lives of people and their communities (Brown, Swanson, & Barton, 2003). Responsibilities once handled by state and federal governments are being turned over to local governments and community organizations. This increased responsibility equates to a need for all residents to assume positions of leadership, if they are to succeed in this increasingly competitive environment. Furthermore, many argue that leadership may be the catalyst through which positive changes occur. A new generation of leaders is needed to build local partnerships for managing change in today’s diverse communities (Tabb & Montesi, 2000).
Why Leadership Education?
Our task as leadership educators within the realm of agricultural education, as charged by our national organization, is to:
• develop and disseminate effective leadership education programs.
• support leadership opportunities for underrepresented populations.
• ensure leader succession in sustaining agricultural enterprises, and enhance citizen engagement in rural and urban community development.
• engage citizens in community action through leadership education and development.
As educators, we take this mission to heart, with the knowledge that we are often the first contact that future leaders have with the theories of leadership development. Within our classrooms, be they formal or non-formal, future leaders of business, organizations, and our government have opportunities to learn in an environment that encourages outside-the-box thinking that will one day impact lives across our nation.
