Leadership Education: Teaching Resilience for Future Success

Abstract

Offering leadership learning opportunities for students is a goal of higher education, in which skills, such as resilience can be taught. One way of offering such learning is through academic programs. This qualitative study explored whether capacity for resilience was learned from a leadership studies program. Institutional and undergraduate certificate in leadership studies alumni (n=23) were interviewed to understand if and how they articulated learned capacity for resilience in personal and professional environments as a result of completing the program. Students highlighted that the Leadership Certificate provided them with skills to overcome personal challenges and the positive role of personal reflection in their successes.