Student Selection Criteria in Undergraduate Leadership Education Programs

Abstract

Citizens expect and deserve effective leadership in both the public and private sectors. In today's 24/7 information access society, high profile leaders have become a source of constant scrutiny by citizens and the media demanding results and integrity on par with the enormous salaries and fringe benefits these individuals receive. In fact, recent research has demonstrated that a change in leadership had a small, but positive impact on important job attitudes and work outcomes (Avolio, Reichard, Hannah, Walumbwa, & Chan, in press). Managers as well are responsible for important leadership variables such as employee satisfaction, productivity, and stress (Fiedler, 1996). The societal need for and observed importance of the effectiveness of leadership leads to the question, where can we find more and better leaders? In this commentary, we describe the origins of leadership, the importance of undergraduate leadership programs in developing future leaders, and the criteria for selection of students into higher education institutions and leadership programs. We conclude the article with recommendations for undergraduate leadership education administrators.