An Evaluation of the Outcomes of a Leadership Development Program

Cynthia Denise McCauley · Martha Hughes-James

Jan 1994 · Center for Creative Leadership

About this ebook

This handbook presents findings of a study that examined the outcomes of the Chief Executive Officer Leadership Development Program, which was developed by the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). The 1-year program was comprised of classroom sessions, coaching, journal writing, and learning projects. Data were derived from: (1) a pre-program survey and questionnaire of 38 participating superintendents; and (2) post-program interviews with the 38 participants and their facilitators, a post-questionnaire completed by participants, and analysis of student journals. Findings indicate that the superintendents improved their leadership competencies and self-awareness. Of the four superintendent subgroups that were identified, two--the New Perspectives subgroup and the Role Expansion subgroup--were more affected than administrators who were already highly effective or more control-oriented. The program, compared to other studies of this nature, resulted in two more prominent outcomes: the view of leadership as a shared responsibility and a broader view of their professional role. Implications of the findings for evaluation of leadership-development programs are: the use of multiple methods enriches analysis; evaluation studies should expect highly individualized outcomes; and evaluation studies provide opportunities for understanding the leadership-development process. Eleven tables and five figures are included. Appendices contain copies of the exit interviews and statistics on subgroup differences. Contains 53 references. (LMI)