Leadership development is a vested interest of Extension, which provides a multitude of programs for individuals of all ages. To properly position each program and meet the needs of participants, we must understand the progression of leader development across a leader’s entire life experiences. With a foundation that builds on three established frameworks, the proposed model of leader development across the life span suggests that when a leader encounters triggers, resulting from interactions and engagement with society, they initiate an inward-focused, meaning-making process that results in action. With this, a leader exerts a greater influence within the environment as he or she develops. This session further explores the implications of a life span model of leader development for leadership programs in a variety of contexts and provides an overview of possible applications for Extension professionals.

1. Innovation Through Leader
Development Across the Life Span
Presented by
Eric Kaufman, Extension Specialist

2. Who is Eric Kaufman?
• Associate Professor &
Extension Specialist @
Virginia Tech
• Coordinator of VT’s
Graduate Certificate in
Collaborative Community
Leadership
• Former H.S. AgriScience
Teacher
• Father & Husband

3. Session Overview
• Extension is uniquely qualified to provide
programming for leader development
across the life span
• Critical reflection is a key tool for
developing self and others
• Each of us has an important role in
facilitating critical reflection and rational
dialogue to facilitate leader development

4. AGREE/DISAGREE: WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP CRISIS
IN THE COUNTRY TODAY
(Rosenthal, 2012)
Agree
69%
Disagree
20%
Not Sure
2%

5. (Rosenthal, 2012)
AGREE/DISAGREE: UNLESS WE GET BETTER
LEADERS, U.S. WILL DECLINE AS A NATION
Agree
70%
Disagree
16%
Not Sure
4%

6. (Rosenthal, 2012)
AGREE/DISAGREE: OVERALL, OUR COUNTRY’S
LEADERS ARE EFFECTIVE AND DO A GOOD JOB
Agree
30%
Disagree
76%
Not Sure
2%

9. Across the Decades
Harris Interactive Confidence in
Leadership Index
Gallup Poll:
Confidence in
Institutions

11. Critical Perspective on Leadership

12. Americans Remain
Optimistic
More than 80% of
Americans believe the
nations problems can be
solved with effective
leadership. That figure
has remained the same,
statistically, over time.

13. Americans Remain
Optimistic
61% of Americans
believe that ordinary
citizens have a great
deal or a moderate
amount of power to help
make America’s
leadership more
effective.
88% of Americans feel they have a great deal or
a moderate amount of personal responsibility to
participate in making America’s leadership more
effective.

14. Leader Development is a Family Affair

15. 500 Years of Leadership Theory
(Garrick, 2006)
Control of Information
Regard for informers & informants
Trait Theories
Courage, Physical Strength, Charisma, Heroism
Behavioral Theories
Leader & Subordinate Influence; Decision-Making;
Emotional Behavior
Open Systems
Event Management; Situations, Role Making
Inter-Personal Leadership
Values, Integrity, Mentoring, Role Models, Empowerment

16. Leadership Defined
“Leadership is the art of mobilizing
others to want to struggle for shared
aspirations.”
– James Kouzes & Barry Posner, researchers and
authors of The Leadership Challenge

17. Leadership Defined
“If your actions inspire others to
dream more, learn more, do more
and become more, you are a
leader.”
- John Quincy Adams

18. Are leaders born or made?
Avolio’s study on identical
twins suggests that leadership
effectiveness is 30% ‘born’
and 70% ‘made’

19. The Leadership Development Equation
MADE
BORN
• Made: Experiences,
learning, and skills that
contribute to effective and
efficient leadership
• Born: One’s genetic
composition that
contributes the foundation
for leadership
development

20. Born vs. MADE
• Inflate your perceptions
• Explore possibilities
through leadership
development
Example:
72
58

21. Qualities for Confidence (Rosenthal et al., 2009)
• Trust
• Competence
• Working for the
Greater Good
• Shared Values
• Results
• Being in Touch with
People’s Needs
and Concerns

22. The Life Stream
“The life stream
represents events you
accumulate from birth to
the present that shape
how you choose to
influence others and
yourself.”
(Avolio, 2005, p. 12)

23. Multi-Level View of Leadership Development
(Avolio, 2005)
Life
Experiences
Talents &
Capacities
Self Aware Self-Regulate Self-Develop
Triggers
Culture
Vision
How am I Supported?
What am I Experiencing?
How do I develop and behave?
Where do I come from?
Who am I?
What am I becoming?

24. How does this picture represent leadership?

25. Social Change Model for Leadership
Development
Some Assumptions:
• Leadership is a process, not
a position.
• Leadership is socially
responsible, it impacts
change on behalf of others.
• Leadership is inclusive and
accessible to all people.
• Leadership is values-based.
• Community
involvement/service is a
powerful vehicle for
leadership.

26. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development
Table 1. Major Stages in Psychosocial Development
Name of Stage Age Opposing Forces Positive Outcomes
Infancy 0-18 months Trust vs. Mistrust Hope & Drive
Early Childhood 2-3 years Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt Willpower & Self-Control
Preschool 3-5 years Initiative vs. Guilt Purpose & Direction
School Age 6-11 years Industry vs. Inferiority Competence & Method
Adolescence 12-18 years Identity vs. Role Confusion Fidelity & Devotion
Young Adulthood 19-40 years Intimacy vs. Isolation Love & Affiliation
Middle Adulthood 40-65 years Generativity vs. Stagnation Care & Production
Maturity 65+ years Integrity vs. Despair Wisdom & Renunciation
Note. Adapted from The Lifecycle Completed, by E. H. Erikson and J. M. Erikson, New York:
W.W. Norton & Company. Copyright 1997 by Joan M. Erikson.

27. A Model for Leader Development
Across the Lifespan

28. Leader Development Across the Lifespan
Continuing to Develop:
• Get Ongoing Feedback
• Reflect on Your Progress
• Use Reinforcement

29. Application: Morgan A. Leader
• 6 to 11 years old - 4-H Member:
– Triggers = approval of peers and adults
– Resolution = self-disciplined, motivated, autonomous
• 12 to 18 years old – 4-H and FFA Member:
– Trigger = Who am I?
– Resolution = Sense of achievement and development of values
• 19 to 40 years old – College organizations, work & social groups
– Triggers = Positive relationships
– Resolution = network of close relationships
• 40 to 65 years old – VALOR
– Triggers = Contributing to Society
– Resolution = sense of fulfillment and integrity
• 65+ years old – Volunteering
– Triggers = reflections on lived life
– Unity with self and connectedness to others

30. START Technique for Reflection
S
Situation/ Scenario
• Give example(s)
• Provide
background&
context
• When & What?
T
Task / Target
• Provide detail
about the
problem or
challenges.
• What happened?
• How happened?
A
Activity/ Action
• Describe what
you did
• How didyou do
it?
R
Result
• Describe what
happenedin the
end- the
benefits, results,
recognition,
savings etc
THESTART TECHNIQUE
T
Taught
• Describe what
you learnt from
the Situation /
Scenario
• Explain why

31. Cue Questions for Development
(Borton, 1970)
• What happened?
• Description, factsWhat?
• What did the experience mean?
• Interpretation, lessons learned
So
What?
• What are the next steps?
• Planning future action
Now
What?

32. Leader Development Across the Lifespan
Continuing to Develop:
• Get Ongoing Feedback
• Reflect on Your Progress
• Use Reinforcement

33. Implications for You and Others?

34. Extension’s Role in Leader
Development

35. A Model for Leader Development
Across the Lifespan

36. Caveat on Studying Leadership
“The distinctive feature of leadership is that it would appear
the more we learn about leadership, the more we realize we
have to and want to learn.” (Jackson & Parry, 2008, p. 9)

37. What questions
and insights do
you have to
share?
Eric Kaufman: EKK@VT.Edu