Preparing Leaders While Neglecting Leadership

Abstract

This study systematically examines collegiate leadership centers and their role in leader development. The findings extend research from the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership by focusing on centers as the unit of analysis. Our mixed-method approach involved coding center websites and analyzing center director responses from an online survey. Results indicate a proliferation of leadership centers, especially at public universities, as well as a leader-centric philosophy that directs much leader development programs. The results from 69 leadership centers in the United States highlight a disconnect between research and practice, and an opportunity to advance leader development through greater use of evidence-based methods.