Leadership and Counseling Psychology: What Should We Know? Where Could We Go?

In this article, we present an introduction to the scholarly literature in leadership, especially as related to counseling psychology. Although many counseling psychologists engage in professional leadership roles across various settings in which they function, there is little formal knowledge about leadership represented in principal books and journals in the field, nor is leadership addressed formally in most programs providing education and training for counseling psychologists. In this article, we first summarize the most important theories, constructs, and processes in the body of knowledge regarding leadership. We also consider the applicability of this knowledge to the field of counseling psychology, particularly noting values and commitments that may position counseling psychologists for effective leadership. We then outline several cross-cutting issues in leadership for counseling psychologists that arise across settings and roles, concluding with a call for more formal attention to leadership by counseling psychologists.