An assessment of the leadership education and development program at the United States Naval Academy

Abstract

Company officers at the United States Naval Academy are responsible for the leadership development of midshipmen. To attract higher quality officers to serve as company officers for the Brigade of Midshipmen and to provide officers with an opportunity for an advanced degree, the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Program was established in 1997. This program allows Navy and Marine Corps officers to receive a Master of Science in Leadership and Human Resource Development from the Naval Postgraduate School. After the first year, the program graduates serve two years as company officers and work closely with the midshipmen of the brigade. This research uses data obtained from semi-structured interviews and self-administered questionnaires of 27 LEAD program graduates. It focuses on the perceptions of graduates concerning the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the program, and makes recommendations for change and improvement. This research adds to the body of knowledge and recommendations that exist and serves as a five-year retrospective on the perceptions of the effectiveness of the program and whether or not the program is perceived to be meeting its goals.