Leadership Development Approaches Research Articles

Workplace-based learning in district health leadership and management strengthening: a framework synthesis.

Effective leadership and management has been identified as critical in enabling health systems to respond adequately to their population needs. The changing nature of low- and middle-income countries' health systems, given resource scarcity, a high disease burden and other contextual challenges, has also led to learning-including workplace-based learning (WPBL)-being recognized as a key process supporting health system reform and transformation. This review used a framework synthesis approach in addressing the question: 'What forms of WPBL, support leadership and management development; and how does such learning impact district health leadership and management strengthening?'. A search for English language empirical qualitative, mixed-methods and quantitative studies and grey literature published from January 1990 to May 2024 was conducted using four electronic databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost, Scopus and Web of Science). Twenty-five articles were included in the synthesis. The findings reveal that over the last decade, WPBL has received consideration as an approach for leadership and management development. While WPBL interventions differed in type and nature, as well as length of delivery, there was no conclusive evidence about which approach had a greater influence than others on strengthening district health leadership and management. However, the synthesis demonstrates the need for a focus on the sustainability and institutionalization of interventions, including the need to integrate WPBL interventions in health systems. To support sustainability and institutionalization, there should be flexibility in the design and delivery of such interventions and they are best supported through national or regional institutions.

Leadership Development and Capacity Building in Non-Profit Organizations in Senegal

The purpose of this research is to assess leadership development and capacity enhancement approaches within non-profit organizations (NPOs) of Senegal and evaluate how the application of participative, adaptive and transformational leadership improves the organizational performance of the NPOs in a condition of limited resources. Therefore, the study seeks to establish how leadership practice, culture and operations impact on the capacity and sustainability of NPOs to achieve their missions and goals. A qualitative research approach was used for the study through self-administered questionnaires or telephonic / face-to-face interviews with senior officials from different NPOs in Senegal. The collected data were coded systematically using the NVivo software so essential themes and patterns revealing the leadership and capacity building difficulties and practices were revealed. This type of methodology was chosen because the research was interpretive in nature, thus enabling the researcher to engage in a discussion of contextual practices of leadership in the non-profit. Accordingly, the study indicates that participatory leadership is cultural and operationally relevant in Senegal since it is endorsed by collective decision-making culture of the society. Thus, the concept of adaptive leadership became important to sustain the stability in organisations during the periods of volatility and change; and the concept of transformation leadership was deemed critical to achieve cultural congruence with the strategic, mission-oriented objectives. This paper also gives precaution on the issues connected with these leadership styles such as the fact that participatory leadership requires expert help to facilitate, adaptive leadership may lead to burnout.

Developing paradoxical and authentic leadership: qualitative evaluation of leadership development among hotel managers and hospitality management educators in Vietnam

ABSTRACT This study explores the effectiveness of leadership development (LD) in fostering paradoxical and authentic leader and leadership capabilities in hotel managers and hospitality management educators. Using a qualitative approach, the study evaluates how LD contributed to immediate and medium-term outcomes. The use of the Critical Incident Technique uncovered that the LD approaches enabled the growth in cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions, contributing to elevated individual and collective leadership capacity. The study expands the literature on paradoxical and authentic leadership and deepens the understanding of how LD can support the growth of authenticity and balanced decision-making in the visitor economy to drive organisational performance.

Approaches to education for sustainability leadership development in higher education: an international comparative study in the Asia Pacific region

Purpose This study aims to focus on key approaches to education for sustainability (EfS) leadership development in the context of Malaysian and Japanese universities. The authors identify key indicators of effective EfS leadership development approaches using both descriptive and inferential analyses, identify and compare the preferred leadership learning methods of academics and examine the impact of marital status, country of residence and administrative position on the three EfS leadership development approaches. Design/methodology/approach The study is quantitative in approach and survey in design. Data were collected from 664 academics and analysed using the efficient partial least squares (PLSe2) methodology. To provide higher education researchers with more analytical insights, the authors re-estimated the models based on the maximum likelihood methodology and compared the results across the two methods. Findings The inferential results underscored the significance of four EfS leadership learning methods, namely, “Involvement in professional leadership groups or associations, including those concerned with EfS”, “Being involved in a formal mentoring/coaching program”, “Completing formal leadership programs provided by my institution” and “Participating in higher education leadership seminars”. Additionally, the authors noted a significant impact of country of residence on the three approaches to EfS leadership development. Furthermore, although marital status emerged as a predictor for self-managed learning and formal leadership development (with little practical relevance), administrative position did not exhibit any influence on the three approaches. Practical implications In addition to the theoretical and methodological implications drawn from the findings, the authors emphasize a number of practical implications, namely, exploring the applicability of the results to other East Asian countries, the adaptation of current higher education leadership development programmes focused on the key challenges faced by successful leaders in similar roles, and the consideration of a range of independent variables including marital status, administrative position and country of residence in the formulation of policies related to EfS leadership development. Originality/value This study represents an inaugural international comparative analysis that specifically examines EfS leadership learning methods. The investigation uses the research approach and conceptual framework used in the international Turnaround Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education initiative and uses the PLSe2 methodology to inferentially pinpoint key learning methods and test the formulated hypotheses.

Leading under pressure: a contextualised development approach

PurposeThe study’s aim was to design and test a leadership development approach using blended learning, to equip leaders for strengthening their own resilience and that of their teams.Design/methodology/approachA contextualised leadership development intervention was produced and evaluated following the principles of design-based research. Participants were from three organisations that work internationally to address the impact of economic disadvantage. Initial research used the behavioural event interview technique. Online assessment incorporated measures of situational judgement, emotion recognition and attributional style. Validity measures were multi-rater feedback (criterion), and NEO-PI 3 (construct). Individual feedback and a simulation-based peer workshop were followed by a four-to-six month period of experience-driven development and a final peer workshop for consolidating and evaluating learning outcomes.FindingsThe online assessment was a valid measure of leaders’ personal resilience resources and their resilience-building capability. Overall, the intervention improved participants’ understanding of, and engagement with, the processes of strengthening individual and collective (team) resilience.Research limitations/implicationsThe target sample size for the study was relatively small, to ensure it would be practical to replicate the approach when designing similar interventions for a senior leadership population in other contexts. Significant results provided robust evidence for the validity of the assessment approach. Findings for the workshops and experience-driven development phase were more tentative, but the value of the design iterations was clearly demonstrated.Practical implicationsThe leadership development approach is suitable for application in other organisations, if similar principles are followed to produce and evaluate materials relevant to each broad sector context. Roll-out is cost-effective, with relatively few hours of blended or virtual delivery supporting experience-driven learning.Social implicationsThe impact leaders have on the wellbeing of those who report to them is well established, but less has been done to develop and formally evaluate practical, cost-effective interventions to improve this impact. The approach validated in this study can be applied more widely to benefit employee wellbeing as well as performance.Originality/valueThe study developed and evaluated a new approach to preparing leaders for the challenge of building team resilience, an aspect of leadership capability that has been given relatively little attention to date.

An Organizational Leadership Development Approach to Support Health Worker Mental Health.

An Organizational Leadership Development Approach to Support Health Worker Mental Health.

The leadership development model influencing drug prevention management and performance of schools under the local administrative organization

This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research methodologies to investigate the dynamics of leadership, management, and performance in the context of drug prevention within schools under local administrative organizations. The research pursues three main objectives: (1) to examine the key elements of leadership, management, and performance related to drug prevention in these educational institutions, (2) to analyze the direct, indirect, and combined influences of leadership on the management and performance of drug prevention efforts, and (3) to formulate policy recommendations for influential leadership development models tailored to enhance the management and performance of drug prevention initiatives. Quantitative data were collected from 400 personnel within educational institutes under the Sisaket Local Administrative Organization, utilizing stratified random sampling and a questionnaire with a high-reliability score of 0.978. Concurrently, qualitative insights were from 12 purposively selected educational institutes in the same administrative context through the focused group. The analytical toolkit included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, structural equation analysis, and content analysis. Key findings indicate the appropriateness of utilizing trait-based, behavior-based, and situational leadership alongside Principles of management to construct a comprehensive structural equation model. The performance emerges as primarily influenced by Principles of management, all statistically significant at 0.01 level. In terms of policy suggestions, the focus centers on fostering a knowledgeable and collaborative team, developing leadership skills through cooperation, and creating an organizational culture that supports learning and development. This integrated leadership development approach is the picture to significantly impact the effective management and prevention of drug abuse in schools under local administrative organizations.

Development of Leadership Indicators and Approaches for the District Directors of Non-formal and Informal Education in the Digital Era

The development of leadership indicators and approaches for district directors of non-formal and informal education in the digital era is crucial for adapting to technological advancements, enhancing leadership effectiveness, fostering creativity and innovation, promoting digital citizenship, and supporting ongoing professional development. These efforts ultimately contribute to the improvement of educational practices and outcomes in the digital age. The objectives of this research were as follows: To study the components and indicators of leadership among district directors of non-formal and informal education in the digital era. To examine the consistency of the developed leadership indicator structure model for district directors of non-formal and informal education in the digital era using empirical data. To develop a leadership development approach for district directors of non-formal and informal education in the digital era. To study the results of implementing the leadership development approach for district directors of non-formal and informal education in the digital era. The research was conducted in four phases, and statistical analysis included percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The results revealed the following: Leadership among district directors of non-formal and informal education in the digital era consisted of five components and fifteen indicators. The leadership development approach for district directors of non-formal and informal education in the digital era included the following components: creativity, participation, digital citizenship, digital vision, and digital professionalism. These components were prioritized based on the findings. The assessment of satisfaction with the leadership development approach for directors of district centers for non-formal and informal education in the digital era indicated a high level of overall satisfaction. These innovative approaches function as catalysts, not only propelling district directors to excel in their roles but also empowering them to champion innovation within the education domain. Most importantly, they play a pivotal role in driving substantial progress in the field of education as our world becomes increasingly digital.

Interviews with 34 Japanese Leaders and Employees Reveal the Secrets of Success and Long-Term Survival of Japanese Companies

Japanese leadership style has encompassed worldwide success and criticism. For example, Toyota is an example of a leading and successful Japanese company in industry. With its new and creative ideas, this company was able to rebuild the marginalized image of Japanese cars in the international business scene and take a large share of the car market in the world. Our interviews with 34 Japanese leaders and employees and our observations as senior consultants in Japanese organizations have shown that the innovative and agile organization of these organizations minimizes inefficiencies in the two prominent areas of human resource and leadership development. However, a quote from a Japanese business leader posits that “non-Japanese employees of Japanese firms frequently mention the penchant that many Japanese managers have for public criticism. Whereas Americans would prefer to receive negative feedback in private, Japanese seem to prefer to give it in public. And in some cases, the negative feedback goes one step beyond into the realm of “chewing out,” or just plain yelling.” We identified 5 secrets of success and long-term Survival of Japanese companies. They are strategy, social capital, new competencies, leadership development and systems approach. Now we will look at the five secrets of the success of these organizations so that managers can use them.

Context-Considered Leadership Development: Quasi-Experiment in a Russian Mining Company

Scholars argued that leadership development approaches should be deeply contextualized and explain how to develop leadership. This article aimed to answer a research question: how to develop leadership in the context of a Russian mining organization. For that purpose, a quasi-experiment using a pre-and post-intervention was conducted in a Russian mining organization by an immersed researcher. Multiple levels of management were involved. Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used as a major measurement tool for leadership styles and effectiveness that had objective criteria. The results indicate that the leadership development was driven by the executives and mirrored by middle managers and supervisors. A cascade of frequency of utilization of leadership styles was observed, which led to an increase in effectiveness. Generally, the intervention caused statistically significant changes with low-to-large effect sizes. To the best of the author’s knowledge, no similar studies were conducted with the reported level of contextualization and details, allowing us to expand the body of knowledge and provide guidance for the practice of leadership development. The study limitations include the following: research was conducted in a real-life context and could be difficult to repeat. The author acted as an associate of the managers, and effectiveness measures transactional outcomes.

Understanding Government Leadership Styles and Approaches Through Smart and Adaptive Leadership Models

Mass shootings, COVID-19, political partisanship, and natural disasters have made government leadership more challenging and more complex. Unfortunately, the government's current leadership development approaches have been under resourced, ineffective, not comprehensive, and not fully infused with the concept of the public stewardship and public trust. This paper explores an understanding of leadership and its application to government through an exploration of leadership models from emerging research and the literature. The value of this approach is to take a plethora of dispersed complex models and combine them in a context suitable for a smart, needed, and relevant discussion.

Authentic leader(ship) development and leaders' psychological well-being: an outcome-wide analysis

PurposeDespite a fast-growing interest in leadership development programs, there is limited research on the impacts of leadership development and a narrow focus on professional competencies as outcomes. The authors’ aim was to test whether authentic leadership development (ALD), an identity-based leadership development approach, is associated with positive changes in leaders' psychological well-being.Design/methodology/approachIn a large sample of leaders (N = 532) from five different ALD programs, the authors conducted a pre-registered outcome-wide analysis and tested within-person changes in key indicators of psychological well-being and explored individual differences moderating these changes.FindingsResults showed significant increases in self-concept clarity, sense of purpose in life and personal growth about two to three weeks after the programs ended. Changes in stress and health were not consistent. These changes did not differ across socio-demographic status (gender, age), work-related factors (leadership, industry and tenure) and most personality factors (extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience). Those with high emotional variability experienced greater improvements in some outcomes of well-being while individuals with higher income and conscientiousness (who had high baseline self-concept clarity) experienced smaller improvements. Longer follow-up assessments were associated with smaller changes.Originality/valueAs one of the most comprehensive assessments of ALD outcomes to date, this study shows the potential of ALD for improving outcomes beyond leadership skills, the well-being of leaders, highlighting the return on value in leadership development and pointing to learning and development as a workplace well-being intervention.

A case study on the use of Public Narrative as a leadership development approach for Patient Leaders in the English National Health Service.

BackgroundIn 2016 the National Health Service (NHS) England embraced the commitment to work for maternity services to become safer, more personalized, kinder, professional and more family-friendly. Achieving this involves including a service users' organizations to co-lead and deliver the services. This article explores how Public Narrative, a framework for leadership development used across geographical and cultural settings worldwide, can enhance the confidence, capability and skills of service-user representatives (or Patient Leaders) in the National Health Service (NHS) in England. Specifically, we analyse a pilot initiative conducted with one cohort of Patient Leaders, the Chairs of local Maternity Voices Partnerships (MVPs), and how they have used Public Narrative to enhance their effectiveness in leading transformation in maternity services as part of the NHS Maternity Transformation Programme.MethodsQualitative two-phase case study of a pilot training and coaching initiative using Public Narrative with a cohort of MVP Chairs. Phase 1 consisted of a 6-month period, during which the standard framework was adapted in co-design with the MVP Chairs. A core MVP Chair Co-Design Group underwent initial training and follow-up coaching in Public Narrative. Phase 2 consisted of qualitative data collection and data analysis.ResultsThe study of this pilot initiative suggests two main ways in which Public Narrative can enhance the effectiveness of Patient Leaders in service improvement in general and maternity services in specific. First, training and coaching in the Public Narrative framework enables Patient Leaders to gain insight into, articulate and then craft their lived experience of healthcare services in a way that connects with and activates the underlying values of others (“shared purpose”), such that those experiences become an emotional resource on which Patient Leaders can draw to influence future service design and decision-making processes. Second, Public Narrative provides a simple and compelling structure through which Patient Leaders can enhance their skills, confidence and capability as “healthcare leaders,” both individually and collectively.ConclusionsThe Public Narrative framework can significantly enhance the confidence, capability and skills of Patient Leaders, both to identify and coalesce around shared purpose and to advance genuine co-production in the design and improvement of healthcare services in general and maternity services in specific.

A comparative study on turnaround leadership in higher education and the successful implementation of the UN’s sustainable development goals

PurposeGiven the increased emphasis on embedding the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in the curriculum, research, engagement activities and operations of higher education institutions, this comparative study aims to replicate an earlier international study of Turnaround Leadership for Sustainability in Higher Education (TLSHE) in the unique context of Malaysia and Japan. This paper also presents a case for closer focus on developing Education for Sustainability (EfS) leaders in institutions of higher learning.Design/methodology/approachThis study is a quantitative comparative research. The authors collected data for EfS-related variables from lecturers affiliated with Malaysian and Japanese public and private universities. Building on the data and results from the TLSHE study, this study made a series of within- and between-sample descriptive comparisons from different angles and levels. To generalize the findings, this study used gender and experience outside higher education as control variables and compared the academics from the Malaysian and the Japanese institutions through the path modeling framework.FindingsThe comparisons showed that except for two domains, namely, contextual factors influencing EfS leadership and the EfS leadership development approaches, the means of all other domains based on the data collected from the Malaysian sample were the highest, followed by means from the international TLSHE sample, and finally the means from the Japanese sample. This study also observed that transparency, engagement with EfS initiatives at different levels, passion for teaching and learning, and creative and lateral thinking were among the top indicators. The inferential tests revealed significant differences between the academics from Japan and Malaysia as well.Practical implicationsThe findings of the analyses can be used to ensure that the selection and development of EfS leaders (in this case, lecturers who may be formal or informal EfS leaders), not just at the central but at the local level in the distinctive context of Japan and Malaysia, focus on what counts and the good ideas embodied in the 17 UN SDGs are actually put into practice. This study has also highlighted the policy implications with respect to the gender and the previous work experience of lecturers outside higher education sector in more detail.Originality/valueThis study compares the perceptions of two samples of academics from Asian countries with the perceptions of the international TLSHE sampled EfS leaders in terms of EfS leadership-related issues and therefore, increases the awareness of academic community in this regard. It also highlights the role of lecturers (e.g. professors) as intellectual academic leaders in achieving SDGs. Moreover, this study shows that lecturers’ gender and previous work experience outside higher education should be considered when developing and implementing policies on EfS leadership.

Authentic Leader(ship) Development and Psychological Well-being: An Outcome-Wide Analysis

Despite a growing interest in leadership development, there is limited research on the impacts of leadership development and a narrow focus on changes in professional skills and competencies as outcomes. In this research, we propose and test whether identity-based leadership development approaches, such as authentic leadership development (ALD), may improve leaders’ psychological functioning and well-being. In a large sample of leaders (N = 532) across five different ALD programs, we conducted a pre-registered outcome-wide analysis of within-person changes in psychological well-being and explored individual differences moderating these changes. Results showed significant increases in self-concept clarity, sense of purpose in life and personal growth, and some decreases in perceived stress. These changes did not differ across socio-demographic status (gender, age), work-related factors (leadership, tenure) and most personality factors (extraversion, agreeableness, and openness to experience). Individuals with higher baseline self-concept clarity (i.e., those with higher income and conscientiousness) experienced less beneficial changes. Those with high emotional variability reported greater reductions in stress. This study demonstrates identity-based leadership development as a potential well-being intervention in support of employees’ mental health which is growing in importance during the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent social-economic challenges.

Mentoring as an Effective Strategy for Leadership Development in Contemporary African Pentecostalism

The formation and advancement of indigenous Pentecostal movements was a significant reason for Africa’s impact on global Christianity. Notwithstanding, a critical concern is the sustenance of such a feat for future global missions. Since leadership development is key to both organizational growth and continual relevance, the African Pentecostal movement that will continue to serve the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission mandate must ensure adequate leadership succession to keep the vision. This paper examined mentoring as an effective approach for leadership development in contemporary African Pentecostalism. Drawing heavily from the Nigerian examples, it argued that mentoring is suitable for preserving and enhancing African Pentecostal theological heritage, core values and practices for effective global missions. By the use of various pieces of literature and observation methods, the article explains the impact of mentoring on the sustenance of the African Pentecostal phenomenon. The author identified three dynamics that had sustained African Pentecostalism and made it impactful: aggressive incorporation programmes, continuous contextualized Christian education, and extensive use of media tools. Consequently, the article argues that these dynamics, amongst other factors, must be intentionally pursued, sustained, and strengthened to form future African Pentecostal leaders who will sustain and enhance the missionary impact of the African Church on the rest of the world. Keywords: The Church, African Pentecostalism, Mentoring, Leadership Development

Mindsets for Change Leaders: Exploring Priming Approaches for Leadership Development

ABSTRACT Diagnostic and dialogic organization development present two contrasting change practices that are frequently discussed in tandem. Yet, an increasing body of evidence shows they are co-applied in practice. For those involved in leadership of these practices, co-application means switching their engagement, such as commencing with a diagnostic analysis to determine the goals of change, then switching to dialogic processes to foster the emergence of new ways of working. However, theoretical descriptions of these two practices remain bifurcated and, as such, overlook leadership development approaches that help leaders switch between engagement styles. Addressing this problem, this paper explores a leadership development approach that focusses on mindsets. We propose six mindsets from psychology settings that are relevant for leadership of diagnostic and dialogic practices. A key contribution of this work is a new perspective on leadership development. Extending psychology-derived knowledge on how to activate mindsets provides leaders of change practices with a means to increase awareness of, and take control of, their mindset, helping them to adjust their engagement as change contexts dictate. MAD statement This paper seeks to Make a Difference (MAD) by offering a practical means to develop change leaders. Far too often, change practice literature has studied successful leaders with the aim to identify what they do, while at the same time overlooking the mechanics that develop these same actions and behaviours. The paper addresses this oversight with a focus on mindsets. It puts forward a means for leaders to increase awareness of, and take control of, their activated mindset and, in doing so, align what they do to change leadership contexts.

Coaching: an approach for leadership development in the Singapore education system

PurposeThis paper aims to explore coaching as an approach to developing school leaders in the Singapore education system. It takes a close look at the nature of coaching experiences of beginning principals and principal-trainers, as well as the related benefits and challenges.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative inquiry approach was adopted, and four beginning principals and three principal-trainers were interviewed. An emergent coding method was deployed in data analysis.FindingsBeginning principals described a positive, helpful and empowering coaching experience when coached by principal-trainers. The latter skillfully asked questions in a safe, non-threatening space for deeper self-reflection. In the process, beginning principals gained greater self-awareness and self-empowerment, and appreciated the shared context of school leadership. While coaching is a useful leadership development approach, inherent implementation challenges were identified.Research limitations/implicationsCoaching as a system-wide strategy to support school leaders in Singapore has only recently been implemented. Further research using a larger sample is recommended as coaching becomes more pervasive.Practical implicationsThe findings revealed a compelling case for a more pervasive adoption of coaching as an approach to support leadership development. Coaching facilitates effective school leadership, and there is scope for self-coaching, peer coaching and coach supervision of principals, middle leaders and classroom teachers.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the nature and positive impact of principalship coaching within a specific policy and cultural context of the Singapore education system. It adds to the body of literature on principal preparation, development and support.

Composing leadership education by institutional type.

This issue highlights leadership development approaches within institutional contexts that have not been well represented in leadership education research. As the first publication in the field to address racial equity through the lens of institutional type in this way, authors were given the challenging task of laying a conceptual, historical, and empirical foundation for readers in the absence of a robust body of literature. What follows is a synthesis of themes observed across each of the articles, concluding with implications for inclusive leadership research and practice.

An Approach for Humanizing Leadership Education: Building Learning Community & Stakeholder Engagement

In recent years, scholars have become critical of mainstream leadership development approaches. In particular, Petriglieri and Petriglieri refer to the dehumanization of leadership, whereby leadership breaks its ties to identity, community, and context. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach for humanizing leadership using the case example of George Washington University’s Organizational Leadership & Learning (OLL) program. Embedded in the critical leadership studies (CLS) approach, the humanizing principles, and the humanistic leadership paradigm, the OLL program’s leadership learning approach focuses on building a learning community and stakeholder engagement. I describe its pedagogical goals and instructional strategies that help promote a psychologically safe space where learners build trusting relationships, integrate diverse perspectives through respectful dialogues, and develop a sense of the “common good” and culture of equity through issue-centered learning. Using classrooms as “identity spaces” and “leadership learning laboratory” allows learners in the program to practice the co-construction of ideas through mutual influence and interactions. This paper makes a valuable contribution to developing future leadership development programs.