Self-leadership change project: the continuation of an ongoing experiential program
Abstract
Purpose
The self-leadership change project (SLCP) is an ongoing program for senior level students at a regional university designed to provide hands-on experience in building self-management skills, which is considered a pre-requisite by many leaders and scholars (e.g. Drucker, 1996; Schaetti et al., 2008). The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants (479 undergraduate business students in 26 different classes with two different professors) had from 10 to 16 weeks to complete their SLCP project. A survey to collect the data for this study were provided as a voluntary option to participants who wished to report their SLCP project results.
Findings
A majority of students participating in the projects reported achieving change in targeted behavior, with intentions to continue to utilize the SLCP approach for future “projects.” Additionally, students who successfully completed a SLCP reported that observers noted change in others as a result of the project. Students who received positive feedback from observers reported that they were likely to engage in a self-leadership project in the future.
Research limitations/implications
The data used in the analysis are exclusively self-reported information. The survey and results do not tie to previous studies that measure individuals’ aptitude for self-leadership as an indicator of success and development of self-leadership capabilities. This study offers little in the way of acknowledging or determining the sustainability of changes desired.
Practical implications
The results fully supported the idea that self-leaders influence others.
Social implications
This study providing support for the concept that external leadership begins with self-leadership. Successful self-leadership change prepares an individual for external leadership roles in organizations and society.
Originality/value
The relationship noted in “Practical implications” above has been suggested in the literature, but there have been few studies covering this relationship.
Keywords
Citation
Phillips, J.I., Kern, D., Tewari, J., Jones, K.E., Beemraj, E.P. and Ettigi, C.A. (2017), "Self-leadership change project: the continuation of an ongoing experiential program", Education + Training, Vol. 59 No. 3, pp. 323-334. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-07-2016-0122
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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