Challenges of Introducing Leadership into the Public Affairs Curriculum: The Case of the Humphrey Institute

Public affairs practitioners need leadership skills that can be deployed at various organizational levels and in the various sectors—nonprofits, charitable organizations, and business, as well as government. They need leadership skills that help them work collaboratively across levels and sectors and involve diverse stakeholders in public work. Helping students of public affairs gain these skills is a leadership challenge, partly because the traditional paradigms of public administration and policy analysis are still potent, even as they are being challenged by newer, more expansive views. This case study traces the successful effort, beginning in the early 1980s, to introduce leadership into the curriculum of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. The effort is analyzed using the Leadership for the Common Good framework and lessons are offered for others seeking to make leadership a prominent part of public affairs education.