CCL Publishes Social-Emotional Leadership Books for Youth Leadership Development

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)®, a top-ranked, global leadership development organization, has published 2 books, one for educators and one for children, about Social-Emotional Leadership.

Built on more than a decade of research, Social-Emotional Leadership is CCL’s framework for nurturing effective youth leadership and is centered around the experiences of teachers, parents, education administrators, and over 12,000 students in grades 3–12 across the U.S.

Our findings show that young individuals demonstrating Social-Emotional Leadership possess self-awareness, understand the consequences of their actions, and collaborate effectively with others. Strengthening students’ Social-Emotional Leadership leads to increased engagement in school, a stronger sense of belonging, and even improved academic performance.

“The more that young people can understand and develop effective leadership skills today, the greater the impact they will have on the world around them in the future,” says Dr. Micela Leis, one of the authors of the books. “Today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders. The journey toward leadership doesn’t need to start in adulthood — it can, and should, begin now.”

The first book, Social-Emotional Leadership: A Guide for Youth Development, co-authored by Leis and Susan Reinecke, describes the 14 research-based attributes that are central to youth leadership, and it offers tools such as discussion questions, journal prompts, and sample activities. These resources are designed to support adults in developing Social-Emotional Leadership in youth, both within and outside the classroom setting. Teachers, counselors, youth leaders, and parents can use this book as a guide for enhancing and cultivating student leadership skills.

“This book is a joy to read,” Professor Sara Rimm-Kaufman of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia says. “Teachers will find this to be an exciting and practical guide on how to cultivate leadership skills in their students. The range of classroom activities, journal prompts, suggestions, and resources are contemporary and engaging … This next generation faces many global challenges. The lessons in this book will help … so they can take action and work toward a better world.”

The second book, Building Bridges: Leadership for You and Me, also authored by Leis and Reinecke and illustrated by Keith Hobgood, is a children’s book meant to serve as an introduction to leadership for youth, primarily between the ages of 4 and 10, in a fun and engaging way. Also based on CCL’s Social-Emotional Leadership framework, it describes the leadership values, mindsets, and skills in a format digestible for children while telling the story of kids displaying leadership as they work together to build a bridge.

Mike McRaith, Associate Executive Director of the Vermont Principals’ Association notes, “This … new book … helps take a fresh perspective on what it means to be leader. As a parent and as an educational leader, I … appreciate that it explains how leadership can come in many different forms, and takes teamwork, not just one person … getting to be boss. It explains 14 different leader traits — and how those traits are all needed in a group of people working together. It is fun, easy to read, well-illustrated, and overall — a great book to have at home and in the classroom.”

Leis and Reinecke’s work on this book was recently featured in the news, further highlighting the importance of their contributions to the field. Publishing these works is part of continued efforts by the community and societal impact team at CCL to understand and invest in the leadership development of youth and students, with the goal of building the capacity of all young people to have a greater impact on themselves, their peers, and their world.