Adolescent leadership for sustainability: understandings and factors that impact on adolescents’ identity, emergence, development and sustainability as leaders

In the face of growing environmental concerns, there is a need for strong and effective leadership at all levels of society and among individuals of all ages, including adolescents. How should these adolescent leaders be trained? What research is available to guide the leadership development for adolescents? Despite the plethora of studies focussed on adult leadership, leadership development and, more recently, leadership for sustainability, there has been comparatively little research into leadership among and leadership development for adolescents aged 15-18 years and even less on leadership for sustainability in this age group.<br><br> This research study, which is intended to help to fill this gap in the academic knowledge concerning leadership for sustainability in middle adolescence, may assist teachers and developers of education training programs to support the development of these young leaders. This study employs a grounded theory methodology (Charmaz (2014), which in turn is based on a social constructivist paradigm. The research presented in this thesis is examined in the context of a theoretical framework, composed of identity theory, collaborative leadership theory, motivation theory and integration theory.<br><br> The methods involved two focus groups with 21 adolescent leaders for sustainability in mid-adolescence from one school in Melbourne, Australia. In addition, the author conducted a 3-4-year longitudinal study involving semi-structured interviews with 20 adolescent leaders, as well as interviews with 13 of their teachers and the principals from five schools in Melbourne, Australia, and seven other participants with special experience or expertise.<br><br> This study generated a number of findings including insights about adolescent leadership for sustainability based on a critical review of the literature, observations concerning the evolution of adolescent leadership for sustainability and a comparison of the programs offered by providers of adolescent leadership for sustainability. In addition, the focus groups and interviews provided major insights into the adolescent participants' understandings of leadership and sustainability and how these understandings changed throughout the course of the study, as well as the adolescents' perceptions of the attributes, capabilities and styles of adolescent leaders and strategies for motivating them to take on leadership roles. These insights led to a deeper understanding of adolescent leaders and the formulation of a set of principles, a developmental framework for adolescent leadership for sustainability, a model for the emergence of leadership and three related theories concerning the fluid nature of leadership, the critical factors for sustaining leadership and the holistic integration of adolescent development. Significantly, this study concluded that adolescent leadership for sustainability was predominantly collaborative in the manner in which the adolescent leaders worked in groups and supported each other and how they, in turn, were supported and guided by influential adults and older adolescents at home, school and the community. The findings also showed that adolescent leadership for sustainability can be described by the concept of complexity, which can be interpreted in a number of ways. First adolescent understandings of sustainability and leadership and their perceptions of the attributes, capabilities and leadership styles were diverse and changed throughout the study. Second, the development and emergence of the adolescent leaders in the study involved a complex interplay of factors that, to varying degrees, engaged, motivated and empowered them throughout the study. Third, the term can help explain a surprising outcome of the study that only a third of the leaders that commenced the study were still active leaders at its conclusion. For those leaders who continued as leaders, the study demonstrated another complex interplay of factors, with the major groups of factors being an influential person at home and/or school, opportunities for leadership and learning about sustainability, a culture of sustainability at home and/or at school and personal factors, such as wanting to lead.<br><br> Based on the findings of this study, it is proposed that leadership educators, youth groups, community groups and even families can help promote the development and emergence of adolescent leaders for sustainability. This can be achieved by providing authentic opportunities for adolescents to learn about leadership and living sustainably and to initiate projects, influence others and take actions in practical and meaningful ways within a collaborative and supportive environment and a culture of sustainability. For schools, these opportunities are subject to the context of each adolescent's home, school, local community and personal life, and within his or her school's curriculum and policies and the structures of the education system.<br><br> Furthermore, due to neurological, developmental and workplace differences between adults and adolescents, it cannot be assumed that modified adult leadership and leadership for sustainability development programs will be suitable for adolescents. The findings of this study may contribute to the development of programs that are better suited to adolescents, although the literature suggests that the vast amount of research and leadership development programs for adults should not be ignored, rather applied selectively and prudently. To this end, the findings of this study, as well as the principles, developmental framework, emergence model and proposed theories, may assist teachers and other leadership educators to design programs intended to better foster the development of adolescent leaders for sustainability and to sustain these leaders over time.