Since its inception, higher education in the US has claimed to develop leaders. This bold claim appears in college mission statements and mottos, and it is reinforced in recruiting materials and ad campaigns. But is this claim justified? Leadership Reckoning takes to task American colleges and universities for their haphazard, incoherent, evidence-free approaches to developing students as leaders and offers a principle-driven, outcome-oriented blueprint for how effective leader development can occur.

Higher education has both the opportunity and the responsibility to take leader development seriously and create the leaders we need. It's high time that happens, and Leadership Reckoning points the way.

"Take it from me, as someone who has worked in both government and business: leadership matters! In the face of global challenges like the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for good leaders in every part of society has never been greater. In Leadership Reckoning, the Doerr Institute for New Leaders pioneers a data-driven approach to make the development of moral leadership a core function of college education. This book is a must read for the leaders of today and tomorrow." (Al Gore, former vice president of the United States)

"This book is a gem of a resource for institutions of higher education, considering their role and approach in preparing the rising generation to exert the leadership our world needs. It is hard to imagine a more important question for revitalizing our colleges and universities and, most importantly, for getting on the path to realizing our collective aspirations for a just, sustainable, and peaceful world." (Wendy Kopp, CEO and co-founder of Teach for All)