The Role of Universities in Shaping Leadership Qualities Among Students and Their Impact on Practical Life

Abstract

The development of leadership in the higher education environment is a crucial aspect in terms of equipping students with the professional and social challenges. This paper has delved into the importance of universities on developing leadership traits among post graduates and its influence on real life. The study was carried out in the District Faisalabad in Pakistan and randomly sampled two universities namely University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF) and administered a validated questionnaire to 60 postgraduate students who had previous field experience. The paired-sample t-tests, multiple regression, gap analysis and exploratory factor analysis were used to analyze the data. The results obtained showed that experiential learning, personal and life skills and co-curricular activities played a significant role in the development of students as leaders compared to formal training and institutional support which played a relatively small role. Regression analysis proved that the strongest predictors of the overall impact of leadership were personal skills, competency development, and co-curricular engagement (R2 = 0.84). Gap analysis revealed that there were significant differences between the highly satisfied and less-satisfied students especially in the areas of institutional support and academic integration. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three underlying dimensions which include personal transformation, institutional ecosystem, and social application which altogether gave explanations of 82.4% of variance. The research finds that the development of leadership should be based on a combination of the experiential learning, the curricular integration, and the supportive institutional structures. It is recommended to enrich hands-on learning experiences in college, to involve students in co-curricular activities, to mentor, to be a role model in ethical decisions, and to access leadership programs equitably so that students can be ready to face real-world challenges and responsibility in the society.