Policy formation of intercultural and globally minded educational leadership preparation

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to ascertain, describe, and compare the components of existing leadership preparation programs in the USA and other countries; and to understand the policy-based processes, challenges, and needs of support for program development for conceptualizing globally minded school leadership. Design/methodology/approach - The purpose of this paper is to ascertain, describe, and compare the components of existing leadership preparation programs in the USA and other countries; and to understand the policy-based processes, challenges, and needs of support for program development for conceptualizing globally minded school leadership. Findings - Limited growth regarding globally minded school leader research and development can be accounted for. Furthermore the increasing internationalization of university programming to include expanded course offerings and greater opportunities of international exchanges that bring students face-to-face with perspectives different from those indigenous to their home cultures speaks directly to the need for a shift in leadership preparation to better address the impact of globalization and intercultural exchange on youth learning in schools. Originality/value - An intercultural analysis of leadership preparation programs with a focus on globally minded leadership is a new endeavor. The findings can be used to inform the next generation of policy formation for twenty-first century leadership preparation program development.