About the NLA

The National Leaderology Association is the professional association for people who study, research, and practice the science of leadership and followership. It was established in March 2023 and is registered as a 501(c)(6) professional association.

A Discipline With Deep Roots

Plato's Republic outlined three types of leadership, and his student Aristotle carried the question forward. Some scholars trace it further still, to Homer's Iliad. Today the study of leadership is among the most active areas of social science, with research that runs from organizational development to neuroscience, degree programs at every level, and peer-reviewed journals devoted to the field. As recently as 2013, some scholars still called it an emerging discipline; today it is a formal one.

Why Now

Automation, artificial intelligence, economic volatility, geopolitical tension, and rapid cultural change all demand expertise that can work through complexity with precision. Leadership-educated professionals are trained for exactly that: to diagnose problems, reduce uncertainty, weigh competing priorities, and guide people and organizations toward stable outcomes.

Yet the public cannot easily tell a leadership-educated professional from an untrained coach. Pseudo-leadership ideas circulate freely, and organizations pay for the wrong guidance without realizing the cost. Many leadership-educated professionals also work in isolation, unaware of how much value they bring. The NLA exists to find them, connect them, and advocate for their role.

Vision

To bring order to the field of leadership, so that those who teach and practice it are those who studied it.

Mission

To support and develop exceptional leadership-educated practitioners and to serve as a trusted authority in leadership education and research. In practice, the NLA:

• verifies and recommends practitioners with proven formal leadership education;
• sets education standards that protect the public;
• builds a community of leadership-educated professionals;
• keeps a trusted store of leadership research and resources;
• supports continued education and innovation that fit its values;
• partners with universities to strengthen leadership curricula;
• teaches the public and employers why choosing leadership-educated professionals matters.

Values

We value formal education in leadership theory and practice, and we honor the people who create, research, and develop the science of leadership.

Honoring the Pioneers

Leaderology grew out of interdisciplinary leadership studies, and the NLA honors the scholars who made that growth possible. Its awards carry the names of pioneers in leadership studies and recognize people whose work has shaped the field. The association will keep supporting the practitioners and academics advancing the discipline today.