Cultivating Exemplary Leaders: A Theoretical Analysis of How an Experiential Learning Program With the Ritz-Carlton Impacted College Student Leadership Development

Participants

East State University, a pseudonym for a mid-sized public institution, classified as Research II under the Carnegie Classification System, served as the institutional site of the study. The university places a high emphasis on experiential learning opportunities for students and is home to a leadership minor available to all undergraduate students, regardless of academic major. Participants for LEAP were selected through a structured application and interview process. Eligible students applied to the program, demonstrating their interest in experiential learning. Applicants were then interviewed to assess their motivations, leadership potential, and readiness for an immersive field course experience. The final selection of 11 students was based on a combination of application responses, interview performance, and alignment with the program's objectives. All selected students were pursuing a leadership minor at East State University and were in their third or fourth year of study. They represented a range of academic disciplines including business, psychology, political science, education, computer science, nursing, and health administration.

Design

This study was a theory-driven qualitative inquiry into an experiential learning opportunity. It explored the phenomenon of experiential learning and its impact on student learning and leadership perspectives. More specifically, we, researchers, theoretically unpacked the elements of the selected experiential learning opportunities to better understand how the design aspects of such experiences could translate to student learning and influence students’ perspectives on and meaning making of leadership. Krauss (2005) described meaning making in relation to personal experience. Specifically, Krauss asserted that “a person draws meanings from, or gives meanings to, events and experiences. That is, experiencing starts to make sense as the person performs his or her psychological functioning of translating it into how he or she thinks and feels” (p. 762). The following research question was addressed: How does the Leadership Excellence Apprentice Program (LEAP), an experiential educational opportunity, facilitate student leadership development? Theoretical analysis was utilized in this study. Methodologists have long debated the appropriate use of theory in research (Anfara & Mertz, 2015). This study aligns with perspectives posited by Merriam (1998), who purported that research in its essence is “theory-laden” (p. 48). In this study, we used theory to systematically examine students’ experiences of the LEAP program. We leaned on the theoretical tenets to explain and make sense of patterns and outcomes reported by student participants. We sought to better understand how or why the LEAP program produces positive learning and developmental outcomes. Student and external stakeholder reflections were used as the main data sources to better understand the process of leadership development. Qualitative theoretical analysis is well-suited to understand how processes develop over time. Use of theory to analyze reflective data could provide valuable insights into the meaning-making processes for students and stakeholders (Creswell, 2013).

Author Positionality

We acknowledge the value of author positionality statements in the interpretation of analytic work, such as the present study. Three of the four authors are faculty members in a department that houses leadership programs. One of these faculty members also serves as the director of a leadership institute responsible for the leadership minor at the University. The fourth author is a doctoral student and serves as assistant director within the leadership institute. All four authors have taught leadership courses at the university, and all purport to be invested in understanding student leadership development. They bring their experience in the realm of college student leadership development to their interpretations of the student and external stakeholder reflections. The authors’ professional roles position them as institutional insiders with direct relationships to the leadership programs examined in this study. This status simultaneously adds to the study by allowing researchers deep contextual knowledge of the institution, program, and curriculum, while also introducing power dynamics that may shape interactions with student participants and external stakeholders. We authors acknowledge these realities, which we recognize in some cases may encourage students and stakeholders to limit critical analysis of the program. We offer this disclosure to readers to increase transparency and strengthen the trustworthiness of, rather than undermine, the study.

The authors also wish to highlight the co-constructed nature of the findings in this study. We purport that we bring with us our own assumptions, contexts, and lens to interpretation of the theories and their application to the student experiences. We maintain that thematic co-construction among participants, stakeholders, and researchers generates insight into the characteristics of the LEAP program and the student experience.

Design and Description of the LEAP

LEAP was a collaborative initiative involving East State University, The Ritz-Carlton, and Franklin Covey that distinguished itself through its unique, immersive pedagogical approach. LEAP was designed to provide students opportunities to experience exemplary leadership in real-life contexts by integrating the established methodologies of Franklin Covey and the operational excellence of The Ritz-Carlton, fostering a dynamic, experiential learning paradigm. Students selected to participate in LEAP were paired with a member of the Ritz-Carlton leadership team, who served as their mentor over the course of the semester-long apprentice program.

LEAP consisted of two parts: the primer and the on-site. To prime for the on-site experience, students completed the Franklin Covey LeaderU leadership training certification. The certification consisted of an eight-module leadership training that follows the principles outlined in the celebrated and best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 2020). The on-site portion of the project was in partnership with luxury hotel chain, The Ritz-Carlton. The Ritz-Carlton's philosophy, rooted in their credo and gold standards, emphasizes a culture of excellence, continuous improvement, and personalized service. Furthermore, The Ritz-Carlton's rigorous training and development programs utilize Covey principles. Opportunities to align students’ experiential learning priming with on-site practical applications via the Covey framework made the Ritz-Carlton an ideal selection for industry partners.

After completing the Franklin Covey LeaderU leadership training and having earned the leadership credential, students participated in monthly on-site visits at The Ritz-Carlton with their leadership team mentor. In total, each student completed four on-site visits, each ranging from 3–5 h in duration. Additional informal communication between students and mentors (e.g., virtual meetings, emails) occurred throughout the semester. During the on-site visits students connected with their mentors via activities including (a) an etiquette luncheon where students learned essential skills for networking, socializing, and communicating in the business world, (b) observation of and participation in a Ritz-Carlton leadership team meeting where students were invited to engage with leadership to examine the resort's operations, and (c) a typical day shadowing experience where they were invited to observe their mentors and engage with guests, employees, and coworkers. At the conclusion of the experience, students were expected to be able to (a) articulate instances where they observed Covey leadership principles in action at the Ritz-Carlton, (b) identify development of core professional competencies, (c) synthesize structured leadership training with experiential learning, (d) expand their professional network, and (e) demonstrate enhanced career readiness and more-developed leadership acumen.

Procedural Data Collection and Analytic Strategy

Following each of their on-site visits, students were asked to reflect on their experiences, detailing their personal takeaways regarding leadership gleaned from their experiential learning opportunities. These reflections were uploaded into an online repository. The following prompt was used to guide student reflections: “Reflect on your recent on-site visit at the Ritz-Carlton. What were your key takeaways, and how did this experience impact your understanding of leadership or your personal and professional development?” These reflections varied in length from 1–3 pages per student experience. Data points from the observational stakeholders were integrated into the analysis. For example, one of the University athletic academic advisors attended one of the on-site visits to observe her student-athletes who participated in the experience. The Ritz-Carlton is located approximately 30 min from campus. Specifically, the athletic advisor was invited to attend the luncheon so that she could be a part of the experience and observe in a naturally social environment. Following her observations, she provided additional perspective and feedback regarding her perceptions of the experience and student learning. Feedback from stakeholder observations of the luncheon was collected using Qualtrics, an online survey tool. External stakeholders were prompted to provide feedback in an open-ended questionnaire. Feedback from the external stakeholders was solicited to better understand the programmatic effectiveness. Athletic advisors, for instance, have an interest in ensuring student athletes optimize their time engaging in extracurricular activities that are beneficial to their development. Including their feedback in the analysis of the Ritz-Carlton experiential learning opportunities provided a well-rounded perspective of the learning process for students involved in the Ritz-Carlton experience. Other external stakeholders included faculty who regularly teach in courses for the leadership minor on campus, and community business leaders who had served in a mentorship capacity for leadership minor students. External stakeholders were selected because of their interest and affiliation with the leadership institute that houses the leadership minor to attend, observe, and provide feedback about their perceptions of the student experience of the etiquette luncheon.

Qualitative rigor is characterized by critical examination to ensure validity of the research (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Several strategies of validity described by Creswell and Poth (2018) were employed in this study. These included triangulation of multiple data sources, including student reflections, stakeholder feedback, and documents related to the experiential learning project (e.g., Covey LeaderU training materials). The researchers also participated in researcher triangulation, where multiple researchers individually coded reflections from a priori codes and then came together to discuss and synthesize coder interpretations of data and theory alignment. Finally, use of theory (e.g., experiential learning theory and exemplary leadership theory) as guiding frameworks that are integrated into the data analysis procedure introduces an element of qualitative rigor (Anfara & Mertz, 2015).

To achieve the stated objective of the study, that is, to understand how a collegiate experiential learning opportunity impacts student learning and perspectives on leadership, data analysis proceeded in three steps. First, the theoretical theories, experiential learning theory (Kolb, 1984), and exemplary leadership theory (Kouzes & Posner, 2017) were reviewed in depth, and a priori codes were derived from the tenets of the theories. This deductive approach was methodologically appropriate given the aim to understand experiential learning opportunities from a theoretical perspective (Bingham & Witkowsky, 2021). Taken together, these theories conceptually described an empirically based approach to experiential learning leadership opportunities. To understand how the Ritz-Carlton mentoring project impacted student learning and perspectives on leadership, we used an a priori coding approach to theoretically unpack observations and reflections of the experience. Table 2 shows the theoretically derived a priori codes.

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Table 2.

A Priori Codes.

Theory	Theoretical Principle	Code
Experiential Learning Theory	Concrete Experience	New Experience
	Concrete Experience	Hands on Involvement
	Reflective Observation	Reflection
	Abstract Conceptualization	New Ideas Formed
	Active Experimentation	Application of Ideas
	Learning Preference	Comfort
Exemplary Leadership Theory	Model the Way	Personal Values
	Model the Way	Lead by Example
	Inspire a Shared Vision	Envision Future
	Inspire a Shared Vision	Inspire Others
	Challenge the Process	Risk
	Challenge the Process	Innovation
	Challenge the Process	Opportunities to Grow
	Enable Others to Act	Build Trust
	Enable Others to Act	Collaboration
	Enable Others to Act	Build Others
	Encourage the Heart	Recognize Others

After a priori codes were established, the researchers read and re-read the data (Patton, 2014) to identify in what ways the participants’ and observers’ experiences aligned, or did not align, with the identified codes. Patton (2014) described this process of analyzing a priori codes in qualitative inquiry to be particularly appropriate for applied research. In step three, the coding framework was applied to the dataset and analyzed for themes or patterns related to the impact on student learning and perspectives on leadership (Saldaña, 2015). Figure 1 shows a diagram of data sources and analysis.

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Figure 1.

Data source and analysis diagram.

Data Sources and Materials

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) at East State University approved the study of leadership programs within the leadership institute. The primary materials used in this study included pre- and post-test surveys designed to measure changes in participants’ perceptions of leadership and professionalism throughout the program. The surveys consisted of a mix of Likert-scale questions, open-ended reflections, and self-assessments evaluating students’ confidence in leadership skills, adaptability, problem-solving, and professional communication. Additional data points from observational constituents (e.g., academic advisors, student athletic advisors), who had a vested interest in student development, but who were not the class instructor, nor the experiential learning mentors, were included in the dataset. These observation points were collected informally in an open-ended survey following their visit. Finally, documents such as the Covey leadership training materials utilized by both the Ritz-Carlton leadership and the student mentees, as well as the Ritz-Carlton promotional materials, were used to better understand the student experience.

Theme I. Experiencing Exemplary Leadership in Action

Several students discussed how they learned about leadership through direct observation of the Ritz-Carlton leadership team. One student reflected, “I loved the managers meeting and getting to see how the leaders deal with negative feedback or statistics because they always turned it into an opportunity for growth.” Another student shared that they, “really enjoyed sitting in on the leaders meeting and hearing how they handle issues in a positive manner.”

A third student described experiencing exemplary leadership through observing seasoned professionals, they “loved how unique this program was in the sense that we learned about leadership from those who already have some experience and wisdom.”

The students were actively engaged in observing and learning from seasoned professionals. The firsthand exposure of what they do and how their meetings run provided valuable insight into what it takes to run a team and a successful enterprise. An observer shared, “from understanding the importance of customer satisfaction to mastering effective leadership, students were fully immersed in the environment.” These perspectives, triangulated with student data, further confirm how tenets of the theories described were exemplified through the students’ Ritz-Carlton experience. The next theme, forming connections through reflective observations, describes how the experiential learning opportunity created space for students to reflect on their observations while also allowing opportunities to draw connections.

Theme II. Forming Connections Through Reflective Observations

Through their reflective processes, students were able to draw connections between the best practices introduced through the Covey training and observing those principles in action at the Ritz-Carlton. Reflecting the concrete experience and abstract conceptualization aspects of experiential learning theory, as well as the exemplary leadership practice of challenging the process, one student remarked, “having done the 7 Habits trainings prior to the experience was beneficial because I could hear the ways that the Ritz-Carlton leadership was referencing certain practices from the 7 Habits.” Another student described similar connections between leadership behaviors and theory, “I feel like the leadership makes good connections with certain behaviors from the 7 Habits and shows how specific actions align with the habits.” These reflections demonstrate how students drew connections between classroom-based leadership learning and their experiential learning opportunities at the Ritz-Carlton.

In addition, a career services external stakeholder who observed the LEAP experience described the program as developing the principles of attentiveness and ardent service that could be applied to any career path to enhance professional success. From a professional perspective, this insight confirmed the intention for LEAP to create space for students to foster connections and make meaning from their experiential learning beyond the experience itself. However, further exploration of this theme through the theoretical lens revealed that while students felt they were provided with ample opportunities to reflect on their observations, they lacked opportunities to engage in reflective dialogue with the Ritz-Carlton leadership team. One student shared a recommendation for strengthening the experience, noting, “go over takeaways with the Ritz-Carlton leadership at the end of each session to reflect on what was learned.”

This observation is supported by the exemplary leadership practice of challenging the process (Kouzes & Posner, 2017) as well as the experiential learning processes of reflective observation and active experimentation (Kolb, 1984). The third theme explores how students reflected on the humanized aspects of their Ritz-Carlton and Covey experiential learning process.

Theme III. Humanized Experience

The third theme reflects students’ understanding of leadership as a humanized experience. Several students described how their experiential learning shaped meaning-making around leadership as relational and people-centered. One student shared how community was conveyed through everyday interactions, “even just walking through the halls, people would greet us or smile, which might not seem significant, but it shows the overall environment that is created there.” Another student highlighted how leadership was demonstrated through diverse styles and intentional practices, they said, “I also enjoyed being able to see how different people who spoke demonstrated different styles of leadership and how the meetings ran with a purpose.” These reflections illustrate students’ recognition that there is no single correct way to demonstrate leadership, but rather that leadership is enacted through human interaction and relational practices. This understanding reflects the exemplary leadership tenets of enabling others to act and encouraging the heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2017).

Additional students emphasized the importance of interpersonal relationships within the organizational culture. One student shared, “seeing how employees interact with one another stood out to me.” Another student explained, “the highlight of my experience was seeing the community that is created with everyone who works at the resort.” Students’ reflections on community building and human connection provide evidence of leadership learning that occurred through the Ritz-Carlton experiential learning opportunity. One student remarked on feeling valued and empowered within the organization, they said, “watching all areas of the hotel feel empowered showed me that people matter, that they are valued and heard.”

Beyond observations of culture and leadership practice, students also described a sense of belonging that developed over time. One student stated, “I loved how positive the environment was between faculty, students, and Ritz-Carlton employees. We got closer over the visits, and by the end it felt like family.” Feeling part of the organizational community reflects personalized involvement aligned with the concrete experience phase of experiential learning theory and exemplifies trust-building and collaboration consistent with enabling others to act. These interpretations were triangulated through external stakeholder observations. One advisor stated, “Feedback from students highlights attention to detail, a positive work culture, and a strong belief that leadership is a people-centered practice.”