One of the most significant events in the life of a school is a change in its leadership. Yet few things in education succeed less than leadership succession. Failure to care for leadership succession is sometimes a result of manipulation or self-centeredness; but more often it is oversight, neglect, or the pressures of crisis management that are…

As society grows more cooperative, the importance of finding emerging leaders has become incrasingly crucial. Not only should these potential leaders be identified, but their talents need the opportunity to develop. Leadership education continues to be a concern in gifted education but remains an abstract concept that is often ignored in school…

A growing number of colleges and boards of trustees are looking to the future by embracing succession planning as the key to assuring college sustainability in an environment that requires global thinking, strategic planning and political savvy. Once confined to the corporate world or to family businesses, and limited to the CEO, succession…

Rex Stockton reflects on group work as it was during his early career in the 1960s and 1970s and as it is today. He comments on his service to the group work field, his research on feedback exchange and leader training, and future trends and directions in group work. Additionally, he discusses some of his interests and contributions outside of the…

Arguably, the most important need in society today is to create individuals who will take action positively and progressively to lead in the private organization, in the the public institution, or in the governmental agency. Leadership action should not be held hostage by the notion that only those in formal positions of leadership can lead.…

More than ever there are both leadership shortages and the temptation to cut training budgets. Senior administrators and faculty are retiring at an alarming rate, and the trend is expected to continue. For a decade, prominent business journals have focused on a crisis of leadership in the corporate sector. This article describes executive…

Based on an interview with Dr. PeiYao Chen, a research analyst with Girls Incorporated, this article explores how the "Girls Study Girls Inc." participatory research project was conducted, what it meant for those involved, and what other programs can learn from it.

This article summarizes the design, implementation, and current status of an undergraduate interdisciplinary leadership studies minor at Morehouse College. The college's primary mission is to "develop men with disciplined minds who will lead lives of leadership, service, and self-realization," as well as provide students with an…

This article addresses the work on rethinking the preparatory function in school administration in the US in a number of ways (e.g., unpacking the larger environmental forces that are fueling the turmoil in school administration). More recently, we have turned our attention to the question of how research on the preparation of school leaders can…

The U.S. Army has been conducting a variety of management education programs for commissioned officers. In both its traditional and its new distance education programs, the Army has established a goal of improving critical thinking and reasoning skills among its students to prepare its future leaders and managers more effectively for the…

Group co-leaders' descriptions of their experiences and perceptions of each other as they led groups together illuminated competency concerns as a factor that strongly influenced their relationships and performance. Based on their narratives, group co-leaders' perceptions of their ability to form intimate relationships and beliefs regarding their…

This case describes the work of two educational leadership professors who have been asked to serve as outsider reviewers of an educational leadership department at a large urban university. The department has a number of problems, and the university's provost seems intent on closing it. The provost's view of the department has been shaped in part…

To substantially raise student achievement, the U.S. must address serious problems in educational leadership. Most analysts support proposals for the initial training and professional development of all principals and superintendents across the board. This type of widespread help is needed, but in the author's view, it is important to concentrate…

The graying of the superintendency, a diminished talent pool, and lack of diversity have prompted American educators to develop innovative strategies that encourage, support and prepare school leaders for the superintendency. For instance, in Nassau County, Long Island, New York, the superintendents' council, in affiliation with the regional…

This case study covers a wide variety of challenges facing administrators as they make an effort to improve the learning environments of impoverished communities. It may be used in an introductory course for aspiring school leaders and practitioners in the eld of school leadership. This case also presents myriad complex organizational issues that…