Students Engage in Service: Society, community, institution, and program

Service learning, an attribute of high quality programs, affected the individual students as well as the greater community. By engaging in meaningful leadership practice, students were able to make positive contributions to their communities and also to their own learning and development. Programs created the pathways, bridges, and corresponding learning space for students to use their leadership for civic purposes.

Actions. Students engage in service includes three actions which program stakeholders undertake. First, programs provide opportunities for students to practice leadership and learn through service learning in groups and individually. Second, programs expose students early to a wide breadth of multiple service sites, people, and organizations. Third, programs allow students to have increasing responsibility and devote significant time for in-depth service to the site in which they are most interested or the cause about which they are most passionate.

Effects on students. Students engage in service has three important effects on students. First, students clarify their passions, interests, strengths, and begin to find their life work by trying contexts and roles at different service placements. Second, students expand their social awareness, empathy, gratitude, and respect for others by encountering issues such as poverty and injustice firsthand with eye-opening experiences. Third, students understand how they can serve to make a difference, and they build an increased desire for servant leadership and involvement in leadership for social causes.

Students Encounter Episodes of Difference: Contexts, people, and ways of leading

The importance of the notion of difference was one of the intriguing findings of this study. It was surprising to students that they had learned so much from this new route. In many different ways, students and practitioners identified an experience with difference as a powerful catalyst for student learning and development. Students encountered different people, cultures, settings, organizations, and leadership contexts first-hand through the program. This first-hand encounter was a beneficial spark for many students’ learning.

Actions. Students encounter episodes of difference is made tangible in leadership programs in two ways. First, programs expose students to different situations, contexts, cultures, groups, and people through their stories and program activities. Second, programs give students opportunities to practice different ways of leading, leadership roles, and engage with others with different leadership styles.

Effects on students. Students encounter episodes of difference includes three outcomes for participants. First, students gain eye opening new perspectives of which they were unaware through experiences and sharing in discussions with people different from them. Second, students learn different ways of leading through witnessing different leadership styles. Third, students become more open minded and less quick to judge while reconciling their worldview and realizing how much there is to learn.

Students Make Leadership Meaning through Dialogue and Discussions

The value of a good conversation was evident from the data gathered. Students gained knowledge and made meaning of the subject matter through discussing it and engaging in dialogue with fellow participants. High quality programs utilize opportunities for dialogue and applied discussions with a variety of activities to advance student leadership development.

Actions. The students make leadership meaning through dialogue and discussions attribute is brought to practice through two primary ways in high quality leadership programs. First, programs engage students in group discussions, debriefings, and dialogues stimulated by events, activities, readings, and presentations. Second, programs engage students in making meaning and connections to readings through discussing their out-of-program experiences.

Effects on students. There is one major effect that was found of the students make leadership meaning through dialogue and discussions attribute. Students improve their listening and speaking communication skills through listening to others and telling their own thoughts.

Students Apply Leadership Concepts to Themselves in Meetings

Student learning and leadership development can happen everywhere, but the meetings of the program are a special space for a coherent development effort to occur. High quality programs utilize simulations, assessment, and a wide variety of activities to engage different students and their learning styles in leadership development. The meetings where students were physically together as a learning community offered ample opportunity for the students to apply the leadership concepts they were learning to themselves through a variety of activities.

Actions. Students apply leadership concepts to themselves in meetings attribute is brought into practice through two ways. First, programs engage students in a variety of curricular activities designed to help them gain a greater understanding of themselves, including personality, strengths, style, skills, and values assessments. Second, programs engage students in simulations to give them practice with specific leadership skills, including strategic planning, ethics, and decision making.

Effects on students. There are two effects of students apply leadership concepts to themselves in meetings. First, students identify their own personality, leadership style, strengths, and opportunities for improvement through self analysis. Second, students develop self confidence, preparation, specific skills and gain rapid experience through simulations.

Students Engage in Reflection Activities: Connecting leadership theory, their experiences, and themselves

Reflection activities emerged as a vital tool for leadership development, especially in concert with action and observation. The reflection activities took many forms, from a written journal to reacting to something a fellow participant said to simply remaining still and thinking about a question. High quality leadership programs use reflection and activities designed to help students make meaning of their experiences as a tool for leadership development and learning.

Actions. Students engage in reflection activities is brought to practice within programs in three ways. First, programs engage students in written reflection activities in the form of journals, essays about readings, and other projects. Second, programs engage students in verbal reflection in reaction to discussions, questions posed, and current events. Third, programs formally engage students in completing vision and goal setting activities and other projects to personalize the concepts to the individual.

Effects on students. There are two student learning and leadership development outcomes from students who engage in reflection activities. First, students learn more about themselves, develop future visions and goals, and become more purposeful with being themselves and making congruent decisions. Second, students develop a meaningful leadership philosophy, model, or framework to analyze their own thoughts and actions to ultimately integrate improvements in their life and leadership.

Students Practice Leadership Individually and Collectively

    Across the sample it was clear that students practice leadership individually and collectively was one of the most significant attributes that emerged in this study. Quite simply, students learn leadership by doing it, and programs that provide opportunities for student leadership practice create ripples of positive outcomes for students and society.

Actions. Students practice leadership individually and collectively is animated in programs in four different ways. First, programs engage students in practicing the leadership skills and concepts they are learning through group development processes within the program, in class projects, and with individual leadership plans. Second, programs engage students in practicing leadership in various out of class projects in the community and on campus. Third, programs engage students in practicing leadership through assuming positions and roles within the program to share responsibility in operating the program and teaching fellow students. Fourth, programs create opportunities for students to become involved in tangible ways outside of the program in the community, campus, and within other organizations.

Effects on students. There are four significant effects of students practice leadership individually and collectively for program participants. First, students find their voice, gain self efficacy, and see leadership as something they and others are capable of through experiencing first-hand that one can overcome fear, challenges, and lead. Second, students think about who leaders are and what leadership is in broader and inclusive ways. Third, students gain a greater understanding of organizations, group dynamics, and how to develop a team through motivating others. Fourth, students learn balance, time management, and problem solving from the demands and imperfection of their projects.

Cluster II: Student Centered Experiential Learning Experiences

Student centered experiential learning experiences is the second of three clusters of attributes in this grounded theory of high quality leadership programs. Stakeholders spoke most frequently about this cluster area in the interviews when considering what was done in the program to help students develop as leaders. Seven attributes were identified within this cluster: students practice leadership individually and collectively, students engage in reflection activities, students apply leadership concepts to themselves in meetings, students encounter episodes of difference, students engage in service, and students engage in self discovery through retreats.

Participants Cultivate One-on-One Relationships

Across the sample of study participants, students and practitioners identified the value of one-on-one relationships in helping students to become better leaders. These relationships happened between practitioners and students and also between students of different classes or between peers within program activities. For mentoring and developmental feedback, the relationships were both formal and informal in nature.

Actions. Programs animate participants cultivate one-on-one relationships in two major ways. First, programs facilitate participants giving and receiving feedback to one another in critical instances after they have had time observing each others’ leadership style. Second, programs utilize a wide variety of teambuilding activities and structures at the beginning of the program and throughout to allow participants to meet and connect on a one to one basis.

Effects on students. There are two effects of participants cultivate one-on-one relationships. First, students learn how to give and receive feedback through practice of giving and receiving feedback that contributes to their ability to implement positive changes in their leadership. Second, students learn the skills to develop better interpersonal relationships through listening to others and seeking to understand.

Participants Foster a Culture of Challenge and Support

One crucial element which matters for student leadership development and learning is the culture within a program. This culture is one of both challenge and support that is fostered by the program participants themselves. This culture is not always easily visible or structural within the program but it is present and felt by the participants.

Actions. There are two primary actions taken by leadership development programs to enact participants foster a culture of challenge and support. First, participants challenge each other to risk and learn from mistakes, ask difficult questions, and think for themselves all within a safe encouraging atmosphere. Second, practitioners set community standards and encourage participants to be approachable, encouraging, and willing to help fellow participants outside of the program as well as within.

Effects on students. Two major effects on students were discovered when participants foster a culture of challenge and support. First, students develop courage and expand their comfort zone through being challenged and encouraged to risk while supported. Second, students establish trust with self and others through vulnerable honest dialogue focused on their personal growth when confronting important issues.