The Development of Leadership Skills Among Students At Post Graduate Level: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Leadership skills enable individuals to influence and direct others towards goals. Developing leadership abilities through higher education is crucial for students' professional and personal success. However, research suggests that while students gain academic knowledge at universities, they often lack opportunities to build critical leadership competencies. This qualitative study aimed to explore students’ perspectives on developing leadership skills during higher education. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 students from 5 different universities in Lahore, Pakistan. Students were asked about the leadership skills they felt were most important, their perspectives on how their university supports leadership development, and suggestions for improvement. The findings revealed that students believe they gain theoretical knowledge through their academics, but feel ill-equipped with the practical leadership abilities required for professional life post-university. Key leadership skills identified included problem-solving, decision-making, communication, teamwork, and interpersonal abilities. Students reported lacking motivation, encouragement, and practical courses for building these skills. They expressed that universities should provide more opportunities to take on substantive leadership roles and incentivize participation in leadership development programs. Suggestions included incorporating compulsory skill enhancement workshops, arranging skill assessments and feedback systems, and offering targeted training activities and courses. Overall, students felt universities focused heavily on academics without adequate emphasis on equipping them with leadership competencies needed to succeed after graduation. They believed institutions must improve efforts to develop students' skills in parallel with academic learning. The study concludes that developing leadership skills during higher education requires initiative from both students and institutions. Students must proactively seek skill-building opportunities, while universities need to prioritize providing leadership development alongside academic education. This may require reviewing curricula, program offerings, and incentive structures to enable leadership capacity building. Effective leadership contributes to positive organizational cultures and team success. By focusing efforts on developing students' leadership skills, higher education institutions can fulfill their responsibility of holistically preparing graduates both intellectually and competently for professional pursuits and personal growth.