In my post on February 16th, I wrote about empowering youth in the development of their leadership and career skills, and I’ll be diving deeper into these themes in my next two posts.

“Leadership is an active, living process. It is rooted in character, forged by experience, and communicated by example.” – John Baldoni

In today’s post I want to share some of the different leadership development books and resources I’ve used throughout my career that I would recommend to anyone working with young people (or anyone) focussed on exploring what leadership means to them, and developing their leadership potential.

Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want to Make a Difference
Although most often used with post-secondary students this book is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about the history of leadership, leadership development theories and models, and ways to engage others in conversations about leadership. The third edition also comes as part of a set that includes a Facilitation and Activity Guide for educators, a Student Workbook and downloadable instructional PowerPoint slides.

Cultivating Leader Identity and Capacity in Students from Diverse Backgrounds
In today’s world it’s more important than ever that the leadership programs we design and facilitate are fully inclusive of all narratives. This book is an important and critical resource that explores what “leader” and “leadership” mean from different world views, and ways to empower leadership development through multiple and equally valuable lenses, including in both individualistic and community-focussed cultures.

The Leadership Challenge
Our identity as leaders starts with exploring, understanding and application of our learning. Kouzes and Posner’s Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership is a great resource to use within leadership development programs and both HR and staff development programs. In particular I love the names given to the five practices: Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart.

Coming Up Next on the #WhatsYourSparkBlog

March 16: How to Build a Strong Team
Being taught how to effectively build a strong team and work together with others who approach work differently from us is key, but also an area consistently identified as a gap by universities and employers. In this post I’ll be writing about several ways to build a strong team culture.