Customer Reviews

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

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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.