Leadership formation and the influence of chaotic, unpredictable experiences on the growth and development of leadership

This research describes the formation and the influence of chaotic, unpredictable experiences on the growth and development of leadership. In this study, the leaders are the Presidents of the Wisconsin Technical College System campuses; they are the chief administrative, academic, and executive officers for their respective institutions, reporting directly and independently to their specific district board. Thirteen out of 16 Presidents were individually interviewed and nine participated in a confirmatory focus group.;A qualitative approach was employed in order to extract the phenomenological meaning of the lived experience detailed by each participant. The phenomenological tools used for the study were that of in depth interviews and a confirmatory focus group. The data were analyzed through the process of tagging, coding, and categorizing the descriptions given by the participants. Additionally, the constant comparative method was also utilized for the in depth interview analysis.;All of the subjects described a gradual but definite movement towards leadership. For most presidents, childhood events shaped their leadership. For some, it occurred in early job experiences following college. The positive influence of a supportive mentor was influential especially for the female presidents. Chaotic, unpredictable experiences did influence the growth and development of leadership in six identifiable themes and 15 essential components—for the sample population. Thus, in consideration of the growth and development of leadership, unpredictability should be considered.;The interview and focus group questions focused on the research questions: (1) describe the role of formation in leadership; (2) identify a significantly chaotic, unpredictable experience(s) in the lives of the participants; and describe the specific chaotic regime; and (3) describe the meaning of the lived experience as it relates to the influence of the significant chaotic event on the growth and development of leadership.