Leadership Development in Counseling Psychology: Voices of Leadership Academy Alumni

Abstract

In 2012, the Society of Counseling Psychology instituted the Leadership Academy (LA) to develop a pipeline of diverse leaders within the Society and the field of psychology. The present study aimed to: (a) better understand the retrospective perceived impact of the training on LA alumni, and (b) provide data about how LA alumni view their leadership development within the context of counseling psychology values. Fourteen LA alumni responded to a series of open-ended survey questions, and we examined the data through qualitative content analysis. Results yielded seven thematic categories: (a) Influences of the LA on Leadership Development and Leadership Skills, (b) Supports to Leadership Development, (c) Barriers to Leadership Development, (d) Greater Awareness of Diversity and Social Identities, (e) Growth Areas of the LA, (f) Personal Definition of Leadership, and (g) Leadership Attainment. Implications for leadership training programs are discussed.