Interesting findings from a study I came across while doing some research:

• “Our review shows that positive social interactions at work have both immediate and enduring effects on the cardiovascular system, in the form of lower HR and BP.” (Heaphy and Dutton, 2008, p. 143).
• “Studies suggest that positive connections strengthen the immune system during periods of acute and chronic stress.” (Heaphy and Dutton, 2008, p. 147).
• “Together, these five studies suggest that positive social interactions have beneficial effects on neuroendocrine functioning, either through the release of OT or through contributing to healthier diurnal cortisol response, and these effects, in turn, are associated with better physical health.” (Heaphy and Dutton, 2008, p. 147)

Stop reading this and go connect with freinds! – Scott J. Allen

We are excited to announce the publication of the special issue of the Journal of Leadership Education (JOLE) highlighting current issues and challenges in the field of leadership education.

You can access the full issue from the link in the middle of the editor’s introduction:

http://www.fhsu.edu/jole/issues/current.html

or the full PDF at the following:

http://www.fhsu.edu/jole/issues/JOLE_8_1.pdf

The issue highlights challenges in theoretical foundations of leadership education, evaluation and assessment, curriculum and pedagogy, and faculty development.

The issue also includes three invited papers addressing what we felt were some of the most current and relevant issues in the field: the distinction between leadership skill development and leadership personal development (Barry Posner), the challenge of identifying and aligning educational activities to this development (Susan Komives and her colleagues), and efforts to put a consistent framework on leadership education activities and programs (the Guidelines for Leadership Education Programs reported by Stephen Ritch and Thomas Mengel).

We hope this special issue will serve as a catalyst for future research and practice, and enable leadership educators to better meet the needs of their students and the organizations and communities they seek to lead.

Sincerely,

Tony Middlebrooks and Scott J. Allen

Speaking of ALE, its latest issiue of JOLE is available if you click here. Another great online journal is The Leadership Review. Check them out! – Scott J. Allen

According to a report issued yesterday (October 15, 2008) by The Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Merriman River Group, political consultants, Americans’ confidence in their leaders across nearly all sectors has sharply declined over the past year. In particular, confidence in President George W. Bush and his advisers took another negative turn with 60% expressing “not much” or “no” confidence, a sharp decline from 49% in 2007.

The Executive Branch of government sat at the bottom of the 2008 National Leadership Index while the Military, Medical and Nonprofit sectors took the top three spots respectively.

Confidence in the leaders of seven sectors (business, the Executive Branch, Congress, religious, educational, the Supreme Court and state government) fell more sharply in the last year than ever before.  Only leaders from the Military and Medical sectors rated above the Moderate confidence level.

Despite their current expressed lack of confidence in the Executive Branch, 77% believe that the 2008 Presidential Election matters a great deal for the future of our country, up from 65% in 2007. High expectations for the next American President for sure.

The research was conducted September 13 – 22, 2008 through random telephone interviews of 997 individuals 18 years of age or older from across the United States.  The complete methodology is summarized in the report which you can download here. This survey is a component of the more comprehensive Leadership Index 2008 which will be available for download on November 24, 2008. Prior National Leadership Index full reports are available for download. (2007, 2006 and 2005)

What does this tell us about the current state of leadership in the United States? Obviously, people are not happy with how our country is being lead in nearly every sector and since the survey was conducted in the middle of the most significant financial crisis America has experienced since the Great Depression, this is not a real surprise. But does it tell us something more important about our nation. Do we look too often to our leaders when we as individuals and collectively might be better situated and more effective at finding solutions to our challenges? Are our leaders really as ineffective as the survey results suggest? Are leaders easily targeted scapegoats? These are not questions easily answered but asking and reflecting on them might be a worthwhile exercise as we enter a challenging new era in our nation’s history.

- Peter A. Mello

Cross posted in Weekly Leader

According to Scandura, Tejeda, Werther, & Lankau (1996) research has shown that protégé promotions and compensation appear to be influenced by a mentor. For instance, Forret et al. (1996) suggest that mentors provide protégés with career functions such as how to maneuver the politics and other organizational nuances. In addition, mentors also provide protégés with psycho-social functions which increase the competence, effectiveness and work-role identity. More on mentors and developmental relationships later this week. – Scott J. Allen