Social Work Leadership: Identifying Core Attributes

Abstract

This article argues that social work academics are educationally remiss for not defining the concepts touted as important for the profession and for our students. Through a content analysis of published literature, the author distilled five core attributes of social work leadership that underpin all other knowledge, personal, and skilled capacities. These core attributes are defined and how they have been used to date is described. This work is aspirational, and the author hopes that other academics and social work professionals may add to its thinking and application.

KEYWORDS:

• Core leadership attributes
• defining social work leadership
• history of social work leadership
• simplifying social work leadership
• social work education