Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolescents (Jossey-Bass Education Series) [Hardcover]

Josephine A. van Linden (Author), Carl I. Fertman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 29, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0787940593 | ISBN-13: 978-0787940591 | Edition: 1st

Based on fifteen years of work with teens and the adults in their lives, Youth Leadership identifies the three major stages of adolescent leadership development. It outlines practical, tactics for developing leadership skills through experiences at home, school, community, and work, and?most importantly?a shows how adults in these settings can have a positive impact. Josephine van Linden and Carl Fertman provide flexible strategies that can be used with adolescents in any program and in varied settings, and offer diagrams, tables, and charts to clarify recommAndations and processes. From teachers and principals to directors of community programs and religious institutions, anyone interested in developing leadership in young people will find Youth Leadership to be a rich source of information and guidance, and an invaluable tool for nurturing the citizens and leaders of tomorrow.

Part One: The Potential for Adolescent Leadership

1. Adolescents as Leaders

2. Developmental Needs

3. How Adolescents Develop Leadership

Part Two: The Stages of Leadership Development

4. Stage One: Awareness

5. Stage Two: Growth and Activity

6. Stage Three: Mastery

Part Three: Strategies for Leadership Development

7. How Adults Can Nurture Leadership Development

8. What Organizations and Communites Can Do

9. Training and Programming Issues

10. Sustaining Leadership Development

Josephine van Linden is director of the Leadership Development Network at the University of Pittsburgh.

Carl I. Fertman is professor of education at the University of Pittsburgh.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Josephine van Linden and Carl Fertman are masters in the area of youth leadership development. They have written a book that can be used by educators, youth service providers, and directors of youth groups of religious organizations...any adult who wants help in guiding and partnering with young people. Adults will learn how to nurture, reinforce, and celebrate behaviors that will allow young people to tap into their inherent roles as leaders." ----Sheila Drummond-Hughes, Communities in Schools

"This book will help adults remove the barriers, partner with youth, and together unleash the enormous potential that ALL young people have--to the benefit of our communities." ----Richard J. Sauer, president and CEO, National 4-H Council

"A thorough assemblage of critical ingredients for consideration in planning curriculum and programs to promote leadership skills in youth." ----Rosalind Chivis, school administrator, Philadelphia Public Schools, and former mentor for the National Society for Experiential Education leadership development program

"This book challenges secondary educators and community leaders to broaden their perception of leadership and to develop inclusive student leadership programs that cater to the individual strengths of today's youth." ----Robert A. Lewis, Jr., instructional teacher leader, Pittsburgh Public Schools

From the Inside Flap

Adolescence is a critical time for leadership development. Developing leadership in youth can bolster self-esteem, prevent risky behavior, and serve as a springboard for successful adulthood. Yet many adolescents are never offered the chance to act as leaders, and adult leadership models are often inappropriate for teens, who have unique developmental needs. Youth Leadership is the first book to lay out a leadership model that is grounded in adolescent development theory.Based on fifteen years of work with teens and the adults in their lives, Youth Leadership identifies three major stages of adolescent leadership development: awareness, interaction, and mastery. The authors reveal how all adolescents have leadership potential. They outline practical tactics for developing leadership skills through experiences at home, school, community, and work, and?most important?show how adults in these settings can have a positive impact.Josephine van Linden and Carl Fertman provide flexible strategies that can be used with adolescents in any program or setting. They also offer invaluable insights on what organizations and communities, as well as individuals, can do to nurture and sustain leadership development. Extensive case examples, diagrams, and charts clarify recommAndations and processes.From teachers and principals to directors of community programs and religious institutions, anyone interested in developing leadership in young people will find Youth Leadership to be a rich source of information and guidance, an invaluable tool for nurturing the citizens and leaders of tomorrow."This book will help adults remove the barriers, partner with youth and, together, unleash the enormous potential that all young people have?to the benefit of out communities."?Richard J. Sauer, president and CEO, National 4-H CouncilEducation"A thorough assemblage of critical ingredients for consideration in planning curriculum and programs to promote leadership skills

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (May 29, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787940593
• ISBN-13: 978-0787940591
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #388,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good beginning..., January 18, 2002

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Stephen Armstrong (Hadley, Ma USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolescents (Jossey-Bass Education Series) (Hardcover)

3*'s
The book results from 13 years' work by two Pittsburgh educators. They address a difficult question in adolescent growth: how can we promote the development of young leaders? They propose a stage theory of leadership development in teens, over five leadership skill areas (information and thinking, attitudes, communication, decision-making, and stress-management) in three chronological developmental levels ("I'm not a leader," "I am a leader," and "I'm going to step up and do it"). The general thrust of development and leadership training is toward ever-more responsible and conscious decision-making and action on the part of the teen. They are looking to develop persons who "influence others in an ethical and socially responsible way."

Few books address leadership development in adolescents, but this one does. It is a great relief from business-oriented "leadership" books, such as Jack Welch's Straight from the Gut, which promote ersatz values and celebrity status as examples of leadership. Instead, these authors see the teaching of leadership as one of the most ethical acts that a community of caring adults can provide for teens. They see leadership as a central element in democratic and humane behavior. This book is not, however, a "how to" book and contains no experiential exercises or adventure tasks.

The authors stop short, however, of examining in detail why we do not do better in educating young leaders. It is not clear why they do not take the next obvious step, to advocate that leadership skills (which they outline well) should be embedded into the social curriculum of all middle and high schools, on a daily basis. After all, if we are serious about developing young leaders in society, perhaps we should be more explicit about it, and weave a deliberate web of development into every teenager's life.