| dc.description.abstract | Vanderbilt University's Peabody College of Education and Human Development in Nashville, TN, serves as the school of education for Vanderbilt University. The Leadership and Organizational Performance Program (LOP) and Leading Organizations Program (MLO) at Vanderbilt University's (VU) Peabody College are two-year master's level programs designed to advance its students' employability and success.
This paper seeks to understand the different leadership skills and competencies currently demanded of graduates of master’s degree programs in leadership in today’s new normal/post-COVID 19 world. We researched those skills and competencies through focus groups. In addition, we explored the similarities and differences in design features of competitor programs which we researched through web scraping.
Findings include: 1) confirmation that the 3 skills/competencies in the "Skills Model Framework", problem-solving skills, social judgment skills, and knowledge, are critical skills to possess in the “new normal”; 2) discovery of 3 additional skills/“new normal” competencies that the market currently seeks as well: Communication/Feedback, Ethical Leadership, and Creating Inclusive Work Environments; 3) learned that while concepts and theories are important to teach in leadership programs, hiring managers and HR professionals desire graduates from programs that include experiential learning program design and real-life experience through internships or partner organizations. The last 2 findings confirmed key competitor program similarities and differences. Recommendations are based of our findings. | |
