Early leadership identity formation and regulation. The Intentional Change Process in the academic context

Our study aims to contribute to literature on leadership development through the lifespan providing an empirical evidence of the dynamic processes of leader’s early stage development. We suggest that the implementation of the Intentional Change Theory in the academic context, which aims at helping college students to attain their desired professional future increasing their self-awareness, could support leadership identity formation. Through the case study of Ca’ Foscari University’s Competency Centre, we show early identity formation through the articulation of the Ideal Self and the assessment of the Real Self in students enrolled in the two workshops: Start Your Own Business, for students willing to become entrepreneurs and Job Planet, for students with a more general intent to enter the labour market. Findings show differences in values and competency portfolio between the participants of these two workshops. It suggests two different developmental trajectories of students aiming at a managerial career and students pursuing an entrepreneurial aim.