Educating Leaders: Leadership and Entrepreneurial Attributes Development (LEAD) Program at Swinburne University of Technology

This paper reports on the rationale for and the student experience of the Swinburne University Leadership and Entrepreneurial Attributes Development (LEAD) program. This program offers Research Higher Degree students who have been identified as having high potential for leadership the opportunity to develop leadership and entrepreneurial skills. LEAD comprises two streams of development: leadership and entrepreneurship. The leadership stream of the program aims to expose students to the concepts of teamwork, communication and project leadership. This will enable students to lead Research and Development programs in their professional careers. In addition, it enhances the PhD experience by providing a program that develops networks among students from a broad range of disciplines. These networks will survive beyond the program and serve students throughout their subsequent diverse careers.