Reflecting on Reflection, Leadership and Social Work: Social Work Students as Developing Leader

A strong case for including leadership in social work programs has been articulated since the 1980s. Yet specific leadership courses are not commonly included in Australian social work curriculums. It is argued that there is a difference between 'teaching' leadership and 'teaching about' leadership. Using a critically reflective approach to social work leadership assists students to develop a professional identity that includes future possibilities for leadership in a way that is personally meaningful. This paper reflects on leadership from the perspectives of social work students and educators. A thematic analysis conducted on student reflections completed over one semester and teacher reflections on the findings are presented. A postmodern narrative approach informed the analysis from which three themes, self-transformation, caring for self, and value-based leadership, are discussed. The paper concludes that a critically reflective approach to leadership education in the human services is important to the integration of theoretical knowledge, skill development and individualised contexts.