Social justice and leadership education are inextricably linked. In order to move social justice forward, we need to develop leaders with knowledge, skills, and values to engage effectively in the leadership process. We need socially just leaders now more than ever. At a time when our elected and appointed officials agree on very little, our communities are divided and distrustful of one another, and individual citizens struggle for fairness in the face of discrimination, society is at a crossroad. In one direction lies the reproduction of oppression and marginalization, continued distrust, and further fragmentation. In the other, a route toward healing, compassion, and fairness. How then do we prepare our leaders of tomorrow to walk the path of justice rather than take the road to ruin? Changing the dominant narratives in society involves preparing skilled social critics and knowledgeable advocates for positive and sustainable change through education. However, when leadership education fails to consider social justice issues, or when social justice education omits leadership learning, both fall short of their goals. This texts links issues of social justice, equity, and equality, to leadership knowledge, skills, and values, with the intent of offering theoretical, practical, and policy recommendations to improve the work of educators charged with preparing undergraduates for the complexities of leadership in all its forms. Collectively, the contributors inform much needed practices and pedagogies toward socially just leadership education. No single one of us can change the narrative alone, but together, we can amplify the voices of those leading toward justice. The perspectives offered here are but a sample of the work being done to make the future a brighter place for all. We invite you to be part of the conversation.

Calling others in to lead for social justice has never been more important. In a world plagued by multiple and overlapping pandemics and other crises, the cost of leadership failures is constantly rising. Leadership education is responding to these challenges by centering cultural relevance, critical pedagogies, and important issues of identity, capacity, and efficacy in the preparation of emerging learners. Meeting the global demand for social justice requires thoughtful, innovative, and engaged praxes by all leadership educators. Alongside a cadre of diverse authors, we intend to shift the mindset of leadership education toward forward-thinking and holistic solutions, empowering our students to build a fairer and more equitable world for themselves and others. Shifting the Mindset: Socially Just Leadership Education widens and deepens the discourse begun in Changing the Narrative: Socially Just Leadership Education. Our contributors' ideas occur into two parts: the first examines student social identities otherwise underrepresented in existing leadership education literature. The second portion illuminates key factors of leadership learning contexts frequently under- or unattended in both leadership education and social justice education. Every chapter includes critical considerations and practical guidance for educators striving to meet the leadership demands of an increasingly unjust world. Taken together, these thinking, planning, and acting tools augment the potential of educators who are preparing leaders under uncertain conditions. We envision this book as an essential element of the leadership learning toolkit of socially just leadership educators at all levels, between contexts, and across varying amounts of education, influence, and experience. You are needed now more than ever before. We, once again, invite you to our ongoing fight for fairness, freedom, and a brighter future for all.

Social justice and leadership education are inextricably linked. In order to move social justice forward, we need to develop leaders with knowledge, skills, and values to engage effectively in the leadership process. We need socially just leaders now more than ever. At a time when our elected and appointed officials agree on very little, our communities are divided and distrustful of one another, and individual citizens struggle for fairness in the face of discrimination, society is at a crossroad. In one direction lies the reproduction of oppression and marginalization, continued distrust, and further fragmentation. In the other, a route toward healing, compassion, and fairness. How then do we prepare our leaders of tomorrow to walk the path of justice rather than take the road to ruin? Changing the dominant narratives in society involves preparing skilled social critics and knowledgeable advocates for positive and sustainable change through education. However, when leadership education fails to consider social justice issues, or when social justice education omits leadership learning, both fall short of their goals. This texts links issues of social justice, equity, and equality, to leadership knowledge, skills, and values, with the intent of offering theoretical, practical, and policy recommendations to improve the work of educators charged with preparing undergraduates for the complexities of leadership in all its forms. Collectively, the contributors inform much needed practices and pedagogies toward socially just leadership education. No single one of us can change the narrative alone, but together, we can amplify the voices of those leading toward justice. The perspectives offered here are but a sample of the work being done to make the future a brighter place for all. We invite you to be part of the conversation.