How important is a college degree as preparation for leadership? That’s a question that’s fodder for vigorous debate. There are valid points one could make supporting any number of positions. Most universities now have a leadership studies program. Are those programs effective in preparing leaders? There is no clear answer. Is the quality of the university an indicator of the development of leadership talent? Again, there is no clear answer.
Even the criteria for leadership are a matter of debate. Is it a title? Or could it be an unofficial designation based on the personal qualities of an individual?
While there is no answer to how education prepares one for leadership, it is interesting to look at one particular leadership position for insights. That leadership position is the President of the United States.
We have had 45 persons occupy the Presidency. Of those 45, twelve did not have a college degree. Most of those who did go to college graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree (27) with an emphasis on history or government. Only one had a science degree (geology) and only one had an economics degree. Three of our Presidents had a degree from a military academy that had a strong emphasis on engineering.
What about the quality of the school? Thirteen of our Presidents graduated from what is now an Ivy League School. Another eleven of our Presidents graduated from a university that would be considered highly selective in today’s education jargon. About one-half of our Presidents didn’t graduate from a university or graduated from a university that would not be highly ranked.
The Presidential Greatness Project expert survey provides some insight as to how our Presidents are ranked. This survey also provides some clue to the value of education in leadership development. The survey of 154 scholars of the U.S. Presidency ranked each of the 45 Presidents with the following results.
- Of the top 10 highest ranked Presidents, three did not graduate from college.
- Of the top 10 highest ranked Presidents, four graduated from an Ivy League college.
- The average greatness ranking for the thirteen Ivy League graduates was 18.2 out of 45.
- The average greatness ranking of the twelve Presidents who did not graduate from college was 23.2 out of 45.
- Of the 10 Presidents ranked lowest in greatness, four did not graduate from college, one graduated from an Ivy League school. Of the six who graduated from college, four of those had a liberal arts degree.
What about the impact of an advanced degree? The most common advanced degree was Law. Many of our earlier Presidents practiced law but never attended law school. Few Presidents had an advanced degree in any subject other than law. Most of the Presidents who had a law degree actually used their degrees to only a limited extent.
What does this tell us about educational preparation for leadership? Only one thing. Leadership does not have a defined path. And that’s a good thing.
* * *
“A boss has the title, a leader has the people.” – Simon Sinek (author)