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The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework for better understanding leadership development experiences by melding the existential‐phenomenological (E‐P) perspective with the leadership literature.

This study used questionnaires to elicit leadership development experiences. A sample of US Army officers provided 117 unique experiences. Various computational methods were used to empirically determine the essential elements and structure of these experiences.

The results provide support for the proposition that beneficial experiences were rated higher than non‐beneficial experiences on five elements: challenge, self‐efficacy, sociality, relevance, and reflectivity. Four of the five elements were represented by two components: an interpersonal component (sociality and relevance), and an intrapersonal component (self‐efficacy and challenge). A fifth element, reflectivity, was related to, but distinct from, both components. Reflectivity may bridge or connect the intrapersonal and the interpersonal components.

The research was limited to a sample of US Army officers. Future research should seek to replicate the findings in larger and more diverse samples, for example, the private sector. These efforts are currently planned.

The conceptual framework and method for understanding experiences that facilitate leadership development can be used by any organization. The present framework and findings are consistent with other approaches to leadership development (e.g. the competency approach).

This study used a unique and tractable approach for understanding leadership development experiences. The elements and structure of beneficial experiences were empirically determined using a number of computational methods; heretofore, this has not been done.

This two part article is an account of research that examined the choices that student nurses made, from an intrapersonal perspective, when they experienced difficulty putting theory into practice. The research employed four major data collection tools, these being student diaries, interview schedules, the Personal Orientation Inventory. All of these tools were designed to either allow the student to explore their subjective experience of the theory practice gap in more depth, or to make a statement regarding the individuals level of intrapersonal functioning.Phase one of the research found that those students who had difficulty expressing their anger, fear or sadness had greater difficulty putting theory into practice. This finding was substantiated as the students who had functional scores in relation to feeling reactivity, spontaneity, acceptance of aggression and self‐regard, appeared more able to put theory into practice.In phase two of the research, nine students involved themselves in a peer support group, the purpose of which was to allow the students to explore their intrapersonal choices and work through their dissonant clinical experiences. All of them reported that this forum was a useful tool for the development of the individual nurse and their ability to underpin their everyday practice with theory.The second part of the article to be published in issue 3,3 will focus upon the integrated model for nurse education from a behaviour change perspective and the implications this has for educationalists.

This second part of a two‐part article is an account of research that examined the choices that student nurses made, from an intrapersonal perspective, when they experienced difficulty putting theory into practice. Part one focused upon the result of a two phase research study. Phase one of the research found that those students who had difficulty expressing their anger, fear or sadness had greater difficulty putting theory into practice. This finding was substantiated as the students who had functional scores in relation to feeling reactivity, spontaneity, acceptance of aggression and self‐regard, appeared more able to put theory into practice. Phase two of the research supported these findings and also that a peer support group was a useful tool for the development of the individual nurse and their ability to underpin their everyday practice with theory.The second part of the article will focus upon the integrated model for nurse education from a behaviour change perspective and the implications this has for work and education of nurse educationalists.

A core responsibility of organizational leaders in a world of increasing competition for best talents is positioning right persons and plans for sustainable growth and progress of their respective organizations. However, attracting top talents for key positions is meaningless if it is not backed by winning retention or succession strategies. This paper aims to assess succession management techniques in the Nzema East District (NED) of Ghana to determine incumbent reliability on its own succession knowledge, practice and sustainability.

Through a cross-organizational investigation, this study used qualitative approaches to explore succession knowledge and practice as they relate to effective management and sustainability of selected NED organizations. In all, 60 purposively selected participants were involved in the study.

This study revealed not only that most NED organizational leaders have no succession plans but also that some senior management officials of these organizations, much as their subordinates, lack knowledge and practice of the concept altogether. It also emerged that a leadership succession paradox, where management expressed profound interest in succession planning (SP) learning and practice, adopting SP as a strategic tool and in using SP as insurance for sustainability of NED firms, but presides over the contrary, characterized much of NED management activity.

As a case study, this research is limited in terms of generalizability, but its implications are quite limitless.

The originality of this study lies in an emerging leadership succession paradox where business executives advocate what, in practice and theory, they are themselves opposed to. Contrary to the logic that we practice what we learn, succession management in NED organizations is not only unethical but also paradoxical. This study has not been published and is not being considered for publication anywhere else.

The purpose of this paper is to explore service-users’ hopes and expectations of a psychologically informed planned environment (PIPE) located in the high-security prison estate.

A semi-structured interview was used to explore the hopes and expectations of five male Category A PIPE prisoners. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Analysis resulted in two overall themes: “Progression” and “Being Part of a Community”. Relevant sub-themes were considered to portray processes within these two wider themes.

In applying these findings to practice, this study provides evidence that places value on the current referral process which ascertains prisoners’ motivations to attend the PIPE.

This is the first known study that explores service-users’ hopes and expectations of the pilot PIPE service. The PIPEs are included within the recently introduced Offender Personality Disorder Pathway.

In the present study an art-based leadership intervention has been evaluated in comparison to a conventional leadership development program. The purpose of this paper is to explore effects on two aspects of personality, namely Sense of Coherence and Agreeableness, as well as on two aspects of leadership behaviors evaluated by subordinates – Laissez-faire and Capacity to Cope with stress.

Participating leaders were randomized to two-year-long leadership programs, with follow-up at 12 and 18 months. The art-based program built on an experimental theater form, a collage of literary text and music, followed by discussions. The comparison program utilized more conventional pedagogical methods.

Leaders in the art-based group, compared to the leaders in the conventional group, showed a significant improvement in Sense of Coherence (stress resilience) and Agreeableness (pro-social behavior). Likewise, the leaders receiving art-based intervention showed a significant improvement in leadership behavior evaluated by subordinates; Laissez-faire decreased (increased responsibility) and Capacity to Cope with stress increased, while the opposite was found in the leaders in the conventional group.

This study represents a new, cross-disciplinary approach. To the knowledge, previous research has not attempted a comparison between art-based leadership approach and a more conventional education. The art-based intervention seems to be more effective in stimulating long-term favorable changes in leaders’ behavior than the conventional program. These positive findings are consistent with earlier findings from this research regarding improved neurobiological resilience and mental health in subordinates of the leaders receiving art-based intervention.

This study sought to assess perceptions of support for organizational change and model the relationship between support for organizational change and leadership competencies among Extension educators. The knowledge gained through this work should expand current understandings regarding the nature, scope, and value of support for organizational change within the Extension educator role. We found that Extension educators mostly support organizational change. Our study also showed that leadership competencies predict a significant proportion of the total variation in overall support for organizational change. Extension leaders and leadership development practitioners should be aware that leadership education may increase receptivity to organizational change among educators.

The purpose of this chapter is to explore the continued need for librarians now and in the future to possess excellent interpersonal and intrapersonal skills and receive continual opportunities for their development. The chapter is designed to gather in-depth views on staff abilities and training through the eyes of the author and other senior-level academic library administrators. In-depth survey/interviews with follow up emails for clarification were used to collect data from four senior level academic library administrators. The way by which we hire, enculturate, and provide ongoing professional development and training related to interpersonal/intrapersonal abilities of librarians matters. While the former area has received quite a bit of attention it is the latter which has yet to be fully embraced and incorporated within many organizations. There is a greater potential for library administrators to improve the lives and quality of their staff by not just focusing on specific skills but rather taking a more holistic approach from the hiring process forward that gives greater weight to individual interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, the latter more specifically referring to the application of mindfulness in the library workplace. This chapter explores professional development of staff from a unique perspective. The librarian as a whole is considered implying the need for administrators to be more concerned about the happiness and growth of staff as individuals as opposed to being just library employees. This in turn could lead to dramatic improvements in library effectiveness within their respective institutions.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to test existing Authentic Leadership (AL) instruments simultaneously in the same environment, and based on these, to propose an extended instrument for the assessment of AL intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies.

Three existing instruments of AL – Authentic Leadership Questionnaire (ALQ) (Walumbwa et al., 2008), Authentic Leadership Inventory (ALI) (Neider and Schriesheim, 2011) and the Three Pillar Model (TPM) (Beddoes-Jones and Swailes, 2015) – were tested, and an extended instrument was proposed based on the results. Two different samples were used – a homogeneous sample (N = 1021) from the military and a heterogeneous sample (N = 547) from retail, catering, public services and logistics industries. Construct validity for the instruments was assessed using a confirmatory factor analysis, and the internal consistency of the factors was analysed using Cronbach’s alpha.

From existing instruments, two out of three indicate issues with internal factor consistency and model fit. The internal consistency of factors and model fit of the extended instrument developed here is satisfactory and suitable for assessing authentic leadership competencies in a single organisation or industry.

This paper sees AL as the behaviour of leaders affected by leadership competencies. Three existing AL instruments were tested alongside a proposed extended instrument to assess AL intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies in the same context.

The purpose of this paper is to share New Zealand findings from the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) which relate to intrapersonal dimensions of leadership that promote principals’ sustained success over time.

Multi‐site case study methods were used to describe the ongoing success of ten educational leaders, using ISSPP qualitative protocols for data gathering and cross‐case inductive analysis.

Findings identified the following influential intrapersonal factors that impacted positively on principals’ leadership behaviours over time: their physical, mental and intellectual well‐being; their levels of resiliency; and critical self‐reflection.

In light of these research findings, it is argued that these intrapersonal factors of a successful principalship are optimised when supported by an external agent.

First, there are few research studies that have investigated how school principals maintain their success over time; second, principals traditionally receive mentoring or coaching support in their professional work but less so in their personal development. This paper advances a case for an external agent to help critique a principal's personal paradigm in order to promote well‐being in the form of increased self‐awareness and an understanding of why they think and act as they do.