How to Develop Youths Into Tomorrows Leaders

¶ … Fleenor, Atwater, Sturm and McKee (2014) focuses on the need to develop "effective leaders and leadership behavior" that can positively impact organizations (p. 63). Their study provides a meta-analysis of the pertinent literature on the subject from the past quarter century, primarily published in The Leadership Quarterly, a journal of scholarly critique, theory, and research. The researchers note that theories of leadership are relatively new to academia, and that approaches to the development of leaders is still being refined by scholars and professionals across the board. The study focuses primarily on issues (both intrapersonal and interpersonal) that relate to developmental leadership, utilizing "multi-source or 360-degree feedback responses" in order to deepen the current state of understanding regarding how leaders are trained and formed (Day et al., 2014, p. 63).

This study is particularly helpful because of its approach to the need for youth leadership training and development. The subject is identified thrice within the study by Day et al. (2014), which indicates that it is not an issue that has gone unnoticed by other researchers in the past. Day et al. (2014) point to the study by Zacharatos et al. (2000), who approached the issue of youth leadership development from the standpoint of social learning theory to show how youths respond to the examples set for them among their peer groups and by the parental modeling that they receive from their guardians. Day et al. (2014) stress the idea that social learning theory in this context is essential in seeing "how transformational leadership behaviors develop in youths" and, by extension, how youths can be assisted in the process of becoming leaders (p. 66). The study by Zacharatos et al. (2000) is used by Day et al. (2014) as a means of identifying the nature of adolescent response to lessons in leadership. Through a process of utilizing "(a) idealized influence, (b) inspirational motivation, (c) intellectual stimulation, and (d) individualized consideration," a method of transformational leadership can be effectively implemented among adolescents/youths in order to help them reach their potential as young leaders who can grow to become mature, capable adult leaders later in life, as they assume positions of leadership in organizations.

Day et al. (2014) also cite the study by Reichard et al. (2011) which notes that one of the early predictors of leadership qualities in young adults is the personality traits that they display. Extraverted youths/young adults were most associated with being leaders later in life, while "intelligence was only related to non-work leader emergence" -- a finding that the researchers suggest places more significance on a young person's personality and his/her ability to reach out to others and grab their attention than on their intellectual gifts/capacity (Day et al. 2014, p. 75-76).

Transformational leadership and its role in the development of leadership effectiveness and upon management in the future is discussed by Den, Deanne and Belschak (2012) who note that transformational leadership is especially helpful in providing signal strengths and motivational factors to workers. Leaders who provide followers with individualized care and attention are more effective at helping the follower to cultivate and define his or her identity in a more positive light, which in turn can help both leader and follower to accomplish organizational objectives on a routine and consistent basis over long stretches of time. Identity is thus signaled by Den, Deanne and Belschak (2012) as a crucial aspect of development in the leader-follower paradigm and one that youths can be especially susceptible to, as they are in the process of evaluating and forming their own sense of self-worth, values, ideas, skills and assets. Den, Deanne and Belschak (2012) also highlight the need for effective social skills within leadership roles in order for communication between groups, team leaders, and team members to be most efficacious. The study by Den, Deanne and Belschak (2012) utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative data to arrive at its conclusions and is helpful in that it reinforces the notion that leadership is developed as a result of a transformational process, much like that of metamorphosis and is something that all leaders experience in terms of growth and development.

Riggio, Riggio, Salinas and Cole (2003) study the role that social/emotional communication skills play in the development of leadership qualities/effectiveness and overall leadership emergence in young persons. The researchers conducted three exercises in which the impact of social and emotional communication skills was measured via the analysis of self-report surveys, observational analysis, and Likert scale ratings systems based on pre-formulated questions that analysts used to measure the effectiveness of the sample -- such as, "Does the leader keep the group focused on the topic of discussion?," "Does the leader make suggestions or contribute to the discussion?," "Does the leader establish rapport with group members?," "Does the leader encourage discussion?," and "Does the leader make an effort to ensure group members' agreement on any final decisions?" (Riggio et al., 2003, p. 94). These questions were helpful in guiding the analysis process and for investigating the impact of the social/emotional communication skills on the overall process of leadership, leadership emergence, and development.

The results of the study indicated that only partial-correlation existed between social/emotional communication skills and effective leadership. Leaders who demonstrated skill at communicating were rated by the groups as being most effective; however, in terms of effectiveness as measured in the performance of tasks, leaders with strong social skills did not appear to have any advantage over leaders who lacked obvious social and emotional communication skills. Thus the perception among the individuals rating the leaders was that communication is a sign of effective leadership, but the practical implication of being a strong communicator was not discernible in the overall effectiveness of the group's performance.

This study was helpful, therefore, in the fact that it highlighted how perception differs from reality when it comes to discerning what makes a leader impactful. Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Social Intelligence (SI) may be perceived as valuable by management/leadership theorists but in terms of the parameters of the study by Riggio et al. (2003) there was limited evidence of any actual correlation between EI/SI and leadership effectiveness. The study was limited in terms of gender imbalances, sample size, and participant make-up, and this may be considered as a reason for the results that were gathered. The study overall suggests that more research should be done in this area so as to better understand what actual impact EI/SI and communication skills have on leadership emergence, development and effectiveness, especially as it concerns youths/young adults entering into leadership positions.

The study by Jacqui, Cairncross and Lamont (2014) examines the impact of leadership on Generation Y (millennial) volunteers and how the subjects can be better developed using a strategy of effective/empathetic leadership. One of the ways that appeared most impactful to the researchers was the leader's ability to identify the needs, ensuring they are met, and then utilizing the talents of the young persons and by directing their attention and energy towards the organizational goal. This study essentially showed that younger persons can be developed to take leadership roles in their own ways by ensuring in a kind of Maslovian sense that the requirements of youths are both acknowledged and fulfilled so that the youths can then progress in terms of addressing the project or organizational objective with the fullest capacity.

Jacqui et al. (2014) observe that youths are in need of validation, esteem and social status and that as long as these needs are met, they can grow and develop into effective leaders and workers. The context of the study is in the volunteer organization, so its application may be limited to this sector, but the findings suggest that youths, because of their level of maturation and lack of experience are particularly susceptible to losses of confidence, feelings of insecurity, and confusion about where they truly belong within the overall organizational picture. Ensuring that young persons and young leaders striving to reach their potential are confident in themselves, their place, their abilities and their stature can help to develop them in terms of instilling in them the self-worth they need to identify as a valuable and integral part of the whole.

Gage and Thappa (2012) also study variables that serve as motivators for young persons developing workplace skills and leadership abilities. They find that these variables are associated with the young persons' background, their social life, their home life, their environment and their peers, mentors, and guardians. Similar to the analysis by Day et al. (2014), Gage and Thappa's (2012) study reveals that social learning is a major contributor to the overall aspect/quality of a young person's work ethic, leadership ability, ability to assume responsibility/accountability, and to give of him/herself to an organizational aim. Again, the context here is on young person's who perform volunteer activities, coordination activities and fulfill leadership roles within volunteer groups, but the findings of the study support the notion that one of the biggest impacts and predictors of leadership abilities in youth is the background from which the young person emerges into adulthood.

Gage and Thappa (2012) note that "planting the seed" of the work ethic in the young is one of the most important aspects of developing youth leaders (p. 405) and this "seed" represents a cultural cue that is received from the social environment that surrounds the youth. The seed is only one part of the equation, as the soil must also be prepared in order to nurture the seed and allow it to grow, and this is where character and the young person's own self-determination comes into play. It is not self-esteem that motivates the young person to accept the responsibilities placed on him from the organization in which he attempts to work and lead, but rather it is the external influences observed and learned by way of social learning that motivates youths to excel in persons of accountability in the workplace. Thus, the finding of this study is almost exactly antithetical to the finding of the study by Jacqui, Cairncross and Lamont (2014). Moreover, Gage and Thappa (2012) conclude that there is an awareness or concern for the "other" (i.e., a lack of egocentrism within the youth leaders) that compels them to drive forward in their goal of volunteerism/leadership within the community. This is another effect of cultural formation, the researchers assert and one that is not based on a need to boost one's self-esteem or have one's confidence levels supported.

However, one reason for the discrepancy in findings between the two studies may be that the sample utilized in Gage and Thappa's (2012) study already had its confidence level needs met and supported by its social environment and that the sample utilized by Jacqui et al. (2014) still needed to have their self-esteem levels boosted in order to become productive workers/leaders. In both cases, effective leadership within the community/volunteer context was rooted in the concept of having youths who were confident, motivated by culturally-informed concern for others rather than for themselves, and a feeling that they needed to do something impactful on their surroundings in order to make a difference, effect some positive change, and give back or pass along what they themselves had received. The two studies can be distilled into the same basic principle, which is that young persons cannot pass on what they have not received, and that for young persons to develop into effective leaders, they must be in a position where they have received an example of effective leadership from their social environment, whatever it may be.

At the foundational level of these two studies is also the concept of leadership as a servant leadership style of effecting change. The servant leadership style of effecting change is based on the idea of giving the self to the other, as Gage and Thappa (2014) acknowledge is the case in their study of youth volunteers. This style of leadership, it is implied, is one that can be highly influential in modifying or developing the leadership skills/mentality of young persons looking to grow/mature into effective adults who can effect a substantial or meaningful change within their environment, community or workplace organization/organizational culture.

Velsor and Wright (2015) of the Center for Creative Leadership discuss the question of where the next generation of leadership will come from in their White Paper entitled Expanding the Leadership Equation: Developing Next-Generation Leaders. They recommend a "multilayered, two-way, cross-generational leadership and mentoring intervention" for young persons interested in developing their leadership skills (Velsor, Wright, 2015, p. 13). The idea is that the older generation did not receive half the level of training and education regarding leadership that today's young persons in colleges across America receive -- and yet it is the older generation that has had to develop leadership skills on the spot, so to speak, and that can offer the next generation practical guidance and experience-based wisdom that can help apply their classroom-based knowledge in the real world.

One strong suit that younger generation leaders have that older generation leaders lack is an understanding of technology and how to use (Velsor, Wright, 2015, p. 13). This understanding puts them squarely in line to take over in positions of leadership in the 21st century, which is the new Digital Age, where a widening digital divide is growing between those who have and can utilize digital technology and those who cannot. Tomorrow's leaders, by necessity, must almost all be digitally inclined, according to Velsor and Wright (2015).

By putting the two generations together in training sessions and in one-on-settings, the younger generation can be given a direct line to a mentor-like situation in which they are able to receive and communicate back concerns, questions, ideas and needs. It is an instrumental method of instilling in youths an idea of what leadership demands may be placed upon their shoulders when the previous generation of leaders steps down and the next generation takes their place.

Thus, Velsor and Wright (2015) advocate the mentor relationship as key and pivotal to the development of young persons who seek to obtain leadership positions within communities and organizations. The researchers note that the mentor-style intervention is already becoming popular across the country as "schools and organizations are beginning to collaborate to develop a culture of leadership that is grounded in a common leadership framework, philosophy, and governing framework" (Velsor, Wright, 2015, p. 15). Essentially, the researchers acknowledge that mentorship is the most effective strategy for helping tomorrow's young leaders learn their way within the organizational world by opening themselves up to receiving guidance from experienced leaders. This requires, however, that experienced leaders be willing to take on a mentoring capacity for young persons today.

Harris (2008) notes in her study of the need for renewed leadership in tomorrow's world that "globalization is rapidly reshaping societies and cultures on a massive scale" (p. 6) -- yet "leadership is still thought about in a traditional way" (p. 6). The irony that Harris (2008) emphasizes is that organizations and communities are no longer isolated the way they were a hundred years ago or even a generation ago. The advent of digital technology has made communication simpler and easier than ever before. And yet problems still persist, such as poverty, politicization, and a lack of leadership. Harris (2008) contends that schools need to reshape the way they think about leadership by analyzing it within a global and technological context. The world is rapidly changing and new developments in leadership curricula, leadership theory, and leadership strategies need to be implemented in order to prepare the young to meet the challenges of the 21st century -- challenges that their elders and members of the generation before them did not have to meet. It is, in other words, new ground and a new frontier for everyone, and that means all have to work together and contribute to formulating new ideas, new concepts and new models for the future of leadership.

Harris (2008) views distributed leadership as a style of leadership that has the potential either to help to transform the next generation of leaders into capable and accountable adults who can meet the challenges the face, or to help turn tomorrow's leaders into mere delegators, which would be a repetition of what the world already has. Harris asserts that with the right context approach to distributed leadership and the right conceptual theories in place, it can be a style of leadership that meets the needs of young persons today as well as of followers who will look towards these same young persons for effective leadership and guidance.

In terms of distributive leadership and education, Harris (2008) shows that the style of leadership has the potential to change the way schools and education systems are run and can lead to new, innovative and unconventional methods of learning that can greatly enhance the field of leadership in the 21st century. It all depends, according to Harris (2008) on having the courage to shift power away from the outmoded systems of governance and control to systems that are still new, growing and developing, but yielding positive fruit on account of their willingness to listen, observe, encounter, adapt and embrace new ideas from the greater worldwide community. This is the essence of Harris's work -- that tomorrow's young leaders need to see and learn the positive lessons that the globalized world has to offer.

Petrie's (2014) White Paper entitled Future Trends in Leadership Development identifies the need for vertical development among young leaders and it acknowledges, like Harris (2008) that these leaders are entering a new era -- the digital era -- and it will completely reshape and reform the way leadership is thought about in the coming years of the 21st century.

Petrie (2014) shows that the need for more complex and "adaptive thinking" is one of the top issues that must be addressed by any development of leadership training for young persons (p. 4). The issues that the digital era presents are such that anything less will only result in an underprepared manager who cannot actually meet the demands set before him/her. Petrie identifies the underlying issue not as one directly related to leadership per se but rather to the process of actually growing minds and expanding them so that big/complex concepts can be attended to with alacrity, flexibility, and confidence. It is a process of how development should take place -- rather than a process of what development should take place. Petrie thus situates the focus of development on vertical systems -- a movement away from "competencies" towards "stages," i.e., earning one's way to the top of the leadership position by climbing the ladder of experience (p. 6). Starting off as inexperienced youths, Petrie acknowledges that young leaders have a lot of work to do to be able to develop into good and effective leaders but that with the right strategy of how to more effectively develop, they can attain the goal.

To this end, Petrie recommends that the individual assume more responsibility than in previous times, because "people develop fastest when they feel responsible for their own progress" (p. 6). Petrie states that the current model of development for young persons is such that it is situated within a framework where youths are ambivalent about accountability and are unused to the pressures of being held responsible: someone else is always shouldering the burden of responsibility for attending to their development. Instead of going out and learning to develop on their own, they are waiting for others to come forward and develop them. This is a system that is too passive for the learner. The learner should be actively engaged and actively engaging others. There should be more of a two-way flow.

At the same time Petrie (2014) asserts that leadership should not be something that is thought of in terms of what an individual can do; instead, it should be thought of in terms of what a collective can do. Collective leadership is the strategy that should be developed for the next generation, because the issues that the digital era will face will be complex and require a skillset that single individuals on their own are not likely to possessive. The collective process of leadership is such that a network of individuals and teams can work together to solve problems, address challenges, and lead the way to a brighter future.

Petrie's final point is that new development processes need to take an innovative approach to how youths are led towards being greater leaders. The processes that are available to them now are stale, tired and outmoded. The digital era demands greater access to and ability to coordinate using the Web and digital technology that enhances organizations and teams and connects members from all over the world. Anything less will not be up to par or able to keep organizations from falling behind their competition in the marketplace.

Petrie's main point is that every individual should own his or her development -- that is, he/she must take it upon himself to advance his learning and experience at every opportunity: he cannot afford to wait to let others come along and do it for him. It is not just a problem of finding the right processes of development -- it is a matter of the individual immersing himself into the world of leadership and taking full responsibility for his own development. That is the main point that Petrie (2014) makes in his assessment of the current state of development and the needs of young people looking to be leaders in the 21st century. They need to accept accountability for their own role in becoming leaders. Once that is done, they can begin to climb their way to the top through hard work and experience and by learning new technology and being able to harness digital communication skills, and by coordinating with others in a collective style of leadership, they will be more prepared to guide communities and firms in the coming years than anyone else.