The effects of study abroad on leadership

When participating in a study abroad experience students develop skills such as increasing intercultural competence. These are skills that previous research has proven is vital to the development of globally minded leaders. Oddly, given this, researchers have yet to study how engaging in study abroad develops leaders. Our study found that while those who had studied abroad begin formal leadership training with a lower motivation to lead, their skills surpass their peers who had not studied abroad after engaging in a six-day LeaderShape Institute. There are a number of implications for these findings regarding the redesign of formal leadership training, as well as utilizing study abroad participants in a way never before considered