Leadership Research Summary:
- In the scientific literature, although conceptual models and empirical evidence have shown that leadership attributes are intimately linked to the well-being of followers, there is a lack of studies focusing on leadership in the service economy. According to the Service Leadership Theory, service leadership is a process that satisfies the needs of self, others, and systems (teams, organizations, communities, and societies) in ethical ways that is characterized by leadership competence, character, and care. With specific reference to self-leadership emphasized in service leadership, higher levels of service leadership attributes should promote personal well-being. However, the relationships between “service leadership attributes” and “well-being” in leaders at the intrapersonal level in leadership education among Chinese university students are rarely examined.
- In this study, researchers collected data from 198 students to understand the linkages between “service leadership attributes” and “well-being” in university students taking a course on service leadership. For tracking changes in students, researchers collected both pretest and posttest data on validated measures of “service leadership attributes” (i.e., “knowledge,” “attitude,” and “behavior”) and “well-being” (i.e., “positive youth development attributes” and “life satisfaction”).
- Results showed that the posttest scores on all three domains of “service leadership attributes” as well as two dimensions of “well-being” encompassing life satisfaction and positive youth development attributes were higher than the respective pretest scores, suggesting that students experienced a shift in a positive direction after taking the course. Cross-lagged analyses showed that pretest service leadership attitude and behavior predicted posttest positive youth development attributes; pretest service leadership behavior predicted posttest life satisfaction. Pretest life satisfaction also predicted posttest service leadership behavior.
Leadership Research Findings:
- In general, the present study findings indicate that it is likely to be more important to nurture the attitudinal and behavioral growth of students (i.e., development of attitudes and behavior) rather than merely knowledge learning (Owen, 2012). Instructors engaged in leadership education will find these observations tremendously instructive and illuminating.
- While much leadership training often prides itself on equipping and empowering leadership knowledge and skills, leadership educators are expected to clearly recognize that it is far from sufficient, as leadership attitude transformation and behavioral applications are of greater importance for students to harvest a well-lived life than knowledge acquisition.
- Attitude transformation, however, can never be forced (Owen, 2012). Thus providing the insight that leadership programs should promote student initiative and then enhance acquisition under the mentorship of teachers by creating better opportunities and circumstances.