Leadership Education in Public Administration: Finding the Fit between Purpose and Approach

Abstract

This article asserts that leadership education programs can be strengthened by questioning assumptions about the nature of leadership and the skills it requires and by using pedagogical approaches that are a good fit with the knowledge and skills students are expected to master. The authors argue that differing views and assumptions about leadership and how it can be practiced successfully may suggest different educational approaches. The authors address four approaches to public sector leadership—trait, situational, transformational, and value-based—and compare the skills and abilities, representative literature, and teaching techniques associated with each approach; they argue that value-based leadership is particularly important in developing a model for public leadership education. They also consider whether special leadership responsibilities and approaches derive from the public sector context, and, if so, how public affairs educators might infuse leadership education with these elements.