by Rachel Weise and Tony W. Cawthon
A recent book by Kathy Guthrie and Brittany Devies, Foundations of Leadership: Principles, Practice, and Progress (2024), provides a comprehensive and accessible exploration of leadership education grounded in contemporary leadership learning frameworks commonly used within higher education. The authors effectively translate theory into practice, making complex concepts applicable to students and emerging leaders. The text challenges traditional assumptions and emphasizes leadership as a relational, developmental, and context-dependent process. Through reflective prompts and applied learning activities embedded throughout the chapters, the reader can access mechanisms that allow them to actively engage in meaning-making around leadership rather than passively consuming information about it.
The book’s six chapters collectively guide readers through the leadership learning process. The first chapter establishes a foundational understanding of leadership by addressing common misconceptions and assumptions, introducing shared language, and outlining a learning framework that centers growth, reflection, and practice. This chapter effectively situates leadership as a learned behavior rather than a fixed trait, reinforcing the idea that leadership development is accessible to all students. Tips on how to utilize this book are also shared, providing students with a roadmap for maximizing the lessons contained in the book.
The following chapters examine leadership within historical, theoretical, and social contexts. The authors trace the evolution of the concept of leadership, highlighting industrialism as a critical turning point that shaped hierarchical models still present in many organizations today. Contrasting these dated models with more contemporary and inclusive approaches reveals how leadership has shifted toward collaboration, adaptability, and shared responsibility. This framing allows students to critically examine how leadership norms have been constructed and how they continue to show up in organizational practice.
At the micro level, the authors explore how leadership manifests differently based on individual identity, context, and situational dynamics. Emphasis is placed on the ways leaders show up in response to their environments, reinforcing leadership as a socially constructed and relational process. A key takeaway is the importance of inclusive language and practice, particularly in recognizing diverse perspectives and experiences within group settings. By framing leadership as both contextual and developmental, the authors offer a meaningful resource for educators and practitioners seeking to support intentional, inclusive leadership learning within higher education.
The publication concludes with a call to approach leadership as an active and relational practice. Leadership can be transformed from one person’s actions in a group to an ongoing process that influences the larger community. Everyday advisors, educators, and student leaders can have a long-lasting ripple effect beyond immediate outcomes, reinforcing the importance of self-awareness and intentionality in leading oneself; leadership is pitched as a collective effort in which individuals come together to achieve a mission, vision, or purpose. The final chapter highlights relationships as important factors in guiding, aligning, and motivating instead of relying on policy or other external structures and brings all this together to offer insights into how to move forward.
Helpful learning cues and strategies include boldfacing key terms and including reflection activities for individuals and groups, thereby providing a tangible way for students and practitioners to turn theory into practice. Reflecting on past experiences and future goals can set students up for making a sustainable and intentional impact by thinking beyond the concepts, connecting to their own experiences, and strengthening their leadership identity.
This book is vital for housing professionals focused on student leadership development and could easily be used as part of campus housing programming and as a tool for training student staff and advising students who are navigating peer leadership and organizational work. At any stage of an individual’s professional journey, this publication can be utilized in peer-to-peer environments, advising, and professional development workshops to encourage reflection and insight into new ways of thinking about the ever-changing action of leadership. This foundational text is a modern resource that connects leadership theory and application, providing a clear framework for executing reflective and sustainable student development.
Rachel Weise is a graduate assistant in fraternity and sorority life at Clemson University in South Carolina. Tony W. Cawthon is an alumni distinguished professor of student affairs at Clemson University.
