Learning About Leadership
Leadership is such an important and powerful concept for social work. When a social worker decides to get their master’s degree, it is a concept they must try to master and apply. It is important to introduce leadership at the beginning of an MSW program because it is a skill that can and should be used throughout one’s career. However, many of the qualities of a good leader are also the qualities of a good student!
There are six aspects of leadership learning that should be incorporated into any student experience:
| Knowledge | “Leadership knowledge is the interdisciplinary, academic and applied field of study that focuses on the fluid process and components of the interaction between leader and followers in a particular context” (Sowcik, 30, p. 47). |
| Development | “Leadership development refers to the human and intrapersonal aspects of leadership learning” (Guthrie & Jenkins, 8, p. 61). It is “characterized by new insights and progression, can include an individual’s motivations, values, identity, emotions, and potential in relation to the activity of leadership” (Allen & Shehane, 1, p. 43). |
| Training | “Leadership training focuses on “…proficiency in demonstrating specific tasks associated with the activity of leadership” (Allen & Shehane, 1, p. 43). |
| Observation | “Leadership observation refers to the social, cultural, and observational aspects of leadership learning” allowing participants to make, “meaning about how effective and ineffective leaders and followers act in relation to others in sociocultural contexts” (Guthrie & Jenkins, 8, p. 65). |
| Engagement | “Leadership engagement refers to the experiential, relational, interactional, and interpersonal aspects of leadership learning” in which “learners construct meaning in response to direct and personal encounters with the activities of leadership” (Guthrie & Jenkins, 8, pp. 68–69). |
| Metacognition | “Leadership metacognition refers to the reflective, systemic, organizational, analytical, evaluative, adaptive, processual, mindful, and complex aspects of leadership learning” where “the learner is critically aware and understands his or her own thought progressions about the leadership process and the learning of leadership” (Guthrie & Jenkins, 8, p. 69). |
By helping students to learn these skills, schools are helping to graduate capable, employable social workers!
Allen, S. J., & Shehane, M. R. (2016). Exploring the language of leadership learning and education. In D. M. Roberts & K. Bailey (Eds.), Assessing Student Leadership. New Directions for Student Leadership, 151, 35 – 49.
Guthrie, K. L., & Jenkins, D. M. (2018). The role of leadership educators: Transforming learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Sowcik, M. (2012). Legitimacy, maturity, and accountability of leadership studies programs: A movement toward “good” practices. Journal of Leadership Studies, 6 (3), 47 – 48.