The Emergence of Leadership Studies: Linking the Traditional Outcomes of Liberal Education with Leadership Development

Abstract

Traditional liberal education essentially involves a "just-in-case" learning approach, exposing students to content they might need in the future. The authors argue that while liberal arts education is indeed a needed preparation for leadership education, the traditional approach to liberal learning is insufficient. To foster the learning outcomes intended by leadership educators, students must encounter a liberal learning "dynamic" in which they are active participants in situations that actually engage the content of liberal and leadership education. The Leadership Studies Program at Fort Hays State University is outlined and presented as an example of program design based on this conceptual foundation.