Higher Education Student Leadership Development: 5 Keys to Success

Student leadership development is an increasingly important part of the higher education experience. When students graduate, they’ll be expected to be self-aware, skilled collaborators who are effective individual contributors with the potential to lead teams, departments, and eventually entire organizations.

Formal student leadership development programs enhance what students learn in the classroom by giving them powerful tools for personal and professional success. They’re also a differentiator for many institutions. They help schools attract more high-ability students, distinguish themselves from peer institutions, and increase the value of a student’s education.

Leadership development helps students strengthen their communication and collaboration skills, develop resilience, become more adaptable, and prepare for a world in which they will be expected to be agile and innovative. Implementing a successful leadership development program is challenging, however, and there is no single template or approach that works across the board.

In this paper, you’ll discover the 5 key practices we’ve uncovered based on our decades of experience in leadership development and research, as well as numerous collaborations with colleges and universities. Include these elements in your student leadership development program and dramatically increase its likelihood of success.