Leadership: Innate or developed?

A response to the Misunderstood Activity
created by Stephanie Muehlethaler (@smuehlethaler)

Number of views: 202


I teach a few different courses that are centred around leadership. In the masters of education program I teach (and will be teaching) a course centred around education and leadership and will be teaching a course next winter called Crisis in Educational Leadership (still to be developed). Additionally, this year I taught a first year foundations seminar course that explored the question “what makes a good life” through the lens of leadership. What I find surprising that at all levels students struggling with the concept of leadership in an individual and its development. The majority of students in my courses often begin the course believing that leadership is a skill that you either have or you do not and are surprised when introduce the concept that leadership skills and competencies can be taught, developed and practiced. In addition, students often come to the course believing that leaders look and act a certain way (extroverted, charismatic, loud, usually white, male etc.). It’s fascinating to begin to unpack the beliefs students have and challenge they way they view leadership and their own understanding of what it means to be a leader.

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One Response to “Leadership: Innate or developed?”

  1. Stephanie Muehlethaler

    Part two as something happened when I posted and not everything was added. I do not use an analogy as much as I seek the expertise of the students and their lived experiences. Different activities are utilized to have students reflect on leaders in their own life (not anyone famous) and usually those leaders are different in terms of how they lead then the students’ originally description of leadership and who a leader is. Creating that connection to their personal lives and their lived experiences has helped develop the connection and awareness that not all leaders act and look the same way.

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