<p><em>"This is an absolutely superb collection of beautifully written articles that belongs on the shelf of every leader and leadership scholar! Every parent who cares about raising a child to lead effectively should also read it from cover to cover." - </em><strong>Jean Lipman-Blumen, Claremont Graduate University, Author, <em>Connective Leadership </em>and <em>The Allure of Toxic Leaders</em></strong></p><p><em>"One of the interesting aspects of this edited volume is that it cuts across the developmental lifespan from early childhood through adolescence and into early adulthood. This will fill a valuable niche in better understanding leadership development from an entire developmental lifespan perspective."</em> <strong>– David Day, National University of Singapore</strong></p><p><em>"Anyone who wants to understand how early behaviors affect development and predict later behavior will be interested in this book, particularly professionals who design, implement and evaluate early life experiences. This book provides a unique and engaging look at how leadership develops early in life. It provides directions for understanding and designing formative leadership experiences from early childhood through college."</em> <strong>– Manuel London, SUNY Stonybrook</strong></p><p><em>"The additional knowledge from this volume is of great significance toward providing the best leadership development tools for our children, grandchildren, and generations to follow. Therein lies its unique value."</em><strong> - Ellen Van Velsor, Senior Fellow, Center for Creative Leadership</strong></p>
Today we often look to our leaders in business, government, or the social sector, to make effective decisions in a complex world. Whether they are asked what steps to take to improve competitiveness in a global economy or to make tough ethical choices, well-trained leaders are critical to organizational effectiveness. Although we know much about leadership development for individuals after they take their first job, we know relatively little about their earlier experiences that contributed to their interest in leadership or subsequent effectiveness as leaders. This volume brings together researchers who explore leadership at different points before individuals enter the workforce and asks important questions surrounding definitions of leadership behavior, necessary leader skills and age-related leader tasks, factors contributing to development of leader identity, and ways to improve the process of leader development. With contributions from well-known leadership researchers such as Robert Sternberg, Howard Gardner, Bruce Avolio, and Susan Komives, the volume shows research evidence for factors such as early childhood and youth experiences on leadership development, which have implications for the way we understand and train leadership in today’s organizations.
J.N. Cleveland, Series Foreword. E. Van Velsor, Foreword. S.E. Murphy, R.J. Reichard, Preface: An Introduction to Early Development and Leadership. Part I: The Earliest Influences on Leadership Development S.E. Murphy, Providing a Foundation for Leadership Development. S. Recchia, Preschool Leaders in the Early Childhood Classroom. R. Arvey, S. Chaturvedi, Examining the Genetic Basis of Leadership. A. Gottfried, A. Gottfried, Paths from Gifted Motivation to Leadership. Part II: Developing Leadership Skills and Leader Identity P. Chelladurai, Participation in Sport and Leadership Development. M. Popper, The Development of "Leaders in Everyday Life": An Attachment Perspective. D.A. Mack, M. Macik-Frey, J. Campbell Quick, D.A. Gray, P. Shinoda, C.L. Cooper, N. Keller, Early Interdependent Attachments and Ethical Leadership: The Power of a Secure Base. N.J. Adler, I Am My Mother’s Daughter: Early Developmental Influences on Leadership. B. Avolio, G. Volgelgesang, Beginnings Matter in Genuine Leadership Development. C. Hoyt, S. Johnson, Gender and Leadership Development: The Case of Female Leaders. R.G. Lord, R. Hall, S.M. Halpin, Leadership Skill Development and Divergence: A Model for the Early Effects of Gender and Race on Leadership Development Identity and Leadership Development. Part III: The Final Preparation: College Leadership and Beyond H. Gardner, Positioning Future Leaders on the Good Work Track. S. Komives, College Student Leadership Identity Development. R. Sternberg, The Purpose of College Education: Producing a New Generation of Positive Leaders. R.J. Reichard, S.J. Paik, Developing the Next Generation of Leaders; Research, Policy, and Practice.