Higher Education Student Leadership Development: 5 Keys to Success

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.

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Download this white paper to learn how to create a student leadership development program that increases the value of a collegiate education and helps attract high-potential students.

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January 3, 2020
About the Author(s)
S. Todd Deal
Todd serves as a Senior Faculty member and Director of the Higher Education practice of CCL’s Societal Advancement team, partnering with institutions across the broad landscape of higher education to provide leadership education and leader development. He holds a BS from Georgia Southern University, a PhD from The Ohio State University, and a post-graduate certificate in Leadership Studies from Northeastern University.
Preston Yarborough
Preston is the Senior Project Director for university-focused initiatives within CCL’s Societal Advancement team, focusing on integrating leadership development into the engineering education curriculum. He holds a BA in English from Davidson College, as well as an MS and a PhD in Counseling and Educational Development from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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