A Longitudinal Case Study of Exceptional Leadership Talent

Abstract

The development of leadership talent in a gifted individual was the focus of this 15-year longitudinal case study. Four major themes explained the development of his leadership talent. Crucial family factors and support served as a foundation for his psychosocial development and contributed significantly to his talents as a leader. Emotional intelligence evident in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood was an important asset as his leadership skills grew. In addition, strong practical intelligence applied to his everyday life enabled him to meet the goals and objectives he established for himself. Woven throughout his life story was evidence of a strong internal motivation that drove him personally and professionally. Implications of the findings are presented along with suggestions for designing effective leadership development experiences for talented students.

Developing Leadership Talent in Adolescents and Emerging Adults: A Systematic Review

“…The role of opportunity was notably absent in the definitions of leadership, but it was a recurring theme in author recommendations. For the individual in Hébert’s (2019) longitudinal single case study, L. J.’s leadership ability emerged early, was systematically strengthened in adolescence and emerging adulthood, and was applied and adapted throughout his graduate education, early career, and later career specialization. L. J.’s talent for learning languages, his leadership skills, and his openness to new experiences gave him the opportunity to serve in the United States Navy as a Naval Special Warfare officer (Hébert, 2019).…”

“…For the individual in Hébert’s (2019) longitudinal single case study, L. J.’s leadership ability emerged early, was systematically strengthened in adolescence and emerging adulthood, and was applied and adapted throughout his graduate education, early career, and later career specialization. L. J.’s talent for learning languages, his leadership skills, and his openness to new experiences gave him the opportunity to serve in the United States Navy as a Naval Special Warfare officer (Hébert, 2019). Academic ability did explain some of the variance in teacher ratings of leadership ability for students enrolled in a high school leadership course, but interactions between ability and nonacademic variables, such as motivation, also explained a notable amount of variance (Schneider et al, 1999).…”

“…For individuals who chose to enroll in college, there were opportunities to develop domain-specific and psychosocial skills and to apply those skills in leadership roles (L. Coffey & Davis, 2019; Fuller et al, 2017; Gassman et al, 2014; Hébert, 2019). However, with the rising cost of college, individuals choosing postsecondary education paths could benefit from early career exploration opportunities before they devote time and financial resources to the pursuit of a degree (e.g., Meyer et al, 2021).…”

“…Rather than focusing on a specific program for leadership talent development, eight of the studies (21.1%) examined adult educational and professional outcomes. Four of these studies focused on participants who were identified as gifted or academically advanced in adolescence or emerging adulthood (Bernstein et al, 2019;Hébert, 2019;Kell et al, 2013;Makel et al, 2016), two identified participants as gifted based on adult professional leadership (Jones-Morales & Konrad, 2018;Pawilen, 2018), and two focused on other factors, including enrollment in a master's program (Hartzell & Hong, 2016) and adult earnings (Weinberger, 2014). The remaining four studies (10.5%) highlighted other variables the authors hypothesized were related to leadership, including parenting style (Kudo et al, 2012;Liu et al, 2019), participation in college athletics (Fuller et al, 2017), and employment during the first year of college (Salisbury et al, 2012).…”

Exploración De Las Decisiones Académicas en Estudiantes Con Alta Capacidad

“…For students with HA, family relationships are critical, as parents are the first to identify characteristics associated with this condition in their sons and daughters, recognising them and therefore providing environments that enrich and enhance their superior cognitive characteristics (GOMEZ-ARIZAGA; TRUFFELLO; KRAUS, 2019; IVIE; CZUJKO; STOWE, 2002). Likewise, it has been observed that for students with HA, the parental figure of the same sex can constitute a role model, in terms of both cognitive and socio-affective characteristics (HÉBERT, 2018). Similarly, fathers also tend to encourage early interests in both their daughters and sons, based on the observation of their superior cognitive characteristics or signs of precocity (COLEMAN, 2016;KINGSBURY;HEYLIGHEN, 2019).…”