PhD in Leadership Studies Program and its mission to uplift Filipino leadership

With a vision to fill the country's management and leadership education gap, the Ateneo de Manila University designed a doctoral degree program in Leadership Studies (LEADS), a multi-disciplinary academic field specializing in organizational and cultural context leadership. 

"It is a doctoral program, and the objective is really to form scholar-practitioners who will contribute to the literature on effective leadership in the Filipino and Asian context, "said Dr Edna Franco, the Program Director of the Ph. in Leadership Studies.

Western leadership theories dominate materials for management education and development in the Philippines. Thus, educational institutions often produce leaders influenced by Western views. Often, using such frameworks does not capture the Filipino context, making it difficult for Filipino leaders to adapt and make decisions. Moreover, knowledge of indigenous and Asian leadership models is limited in scope. 

As Franco explained, "The program was conceived of, and this was really the brainchild of Fr. Bienvenido Nebres because we believe that many of our leadership materials— those that we use in educating leaders or our students in leaderships come from the West. So, most of the things we know are all products of the West, and there is nothing wrong with that except that we find that in our practice, many of these theories or many of these practices may not fit our context."  

As the program aims to produce scholar-practitioners, the university hopes to address these leadership challenges and elevate the country’s management, leadership, and business capacity. This aspiration is aligned with the University's mission to "identify, enrich, and embody Philippine culture and contribute to the nation's development and the upliftment of Filipinos." 

Presently, LEADS program graduates are in the academe and corporate world and some engaged in consultancy work. Some alumni include our very own Dr Erald Irac - director for Consulting Services (CORD) Loyola Schools, Dr Jowett Magsaysay, dean of the Ateneo Graduate School of Business, and Dr Enico Osi -faculty and head of Research at the John Gokongwei School of Management.

The program currently has two tracks: Organization Development and Business Leadership Students could choose which track to pursue. The Organization Development track was already being offered since 2010, while the Business Leadership track was first presented in 2018.

The program attracts faculty and training facilitators engaged in leadership and leadership development. It is also becoming a top option for leaders and practitioners from business management, non-profit, and public governance institutions who want to strengthen their theoretical grounding, help build knowledge, and teach in leadership, focusing on the Asian and Philippine context. 

Admission for the program is available in the first semester of every school year (August). The application period begins in January of every year. For more information about the program, visit ateneo.edu/ls/graduate.