2020 SAGE Award Winners

Learn more about their award-winning paper and their decision to donate their winnings to ILA's International Student Case Competition. Interested in joining them? Donate to the competition here.

Interested in being considered for the 2021 Most Publishable Leadership Education Paper Award? Submit a paper to the Leadership Education stream of #ILA2021Global by 28 February 2021.

Download their paper here: http://tinyurl.com/y3ayt22y. After clicking, select your time zone, then click the download button on the page to be taken to the PDF.  

John Hinck and Steven Davis, Assistant Professors of Leadership in the Leader Development Course for Squadron Command at Air University, have been named 2020's Most Publishable Leadership Education Paper Award winners for their paper, “Re-Operationalizing and Measuring Impact of a Leader Development Course,” which they presented at ILA’s 22nd annual global conference, Leading at the Edge, live and online last November. Sponsored by SAGE Publishing, Hinck and Davis were recently honored via a virtual post-conference ceremony attended by their colleagues around the country, ILA President & CEO Cynthia Cherrey, and Kyle O'Dell, the Chair of ILA's Leadership Education member community. 

Their paper “re-operationalizes the term impact and measures impact of a leader development course in military education. Impact is defined in a three-part way: area of impact (what topics were most effective in instruction), level of impact (how topics will be applied in the future), and depth of impact (why the course was effective). Based on qualitative analysis of 398 surveys, the depth of impact rests in a deliberately-constructed ecosystem of interconnectedness between the human microsystem and six overlapping elements of an exosystem. The system of relationships is depicted in a new model called the Student Experience Ecosystem.”

During the ceremony Kyle O'Dell revealed why their paper was selected, sharing: “This paper took a deeper and much needed dive into the important understanding of why an intervention was effective rather than merely measuring if it worked. This work is both valuable and necessary in terms of guiding effective program evaluation especially when discussing leadership education and preparation. Finally, this paper highlights the efficacy and magnified impact of teaching partnerships when expertise from various backgrounds is brought together to the benefit of all stakeholders in the classroom and those who will be served by these important leaders in the future.”

Staci Witteck at SAGE Publishing discussed their multi-year sponsorship of the award and the synergy between the ILA's Leadership Education member community and SAGE Publishing, stating: “The Leadership Education community's priority to 'advance the field of leadership education to and from all corners of the globe,' is something that SAGE wholeheartedly believes in and is very proud to support. As a values-driven, global company, SAGE is committed to providing the highest quality resources for leadership educators and we're thrilled to be your partners.” 

The award carries with it a cash prize of $1500, which John and Steven generously chose to donate back to the International Leadership Association in support of the International Student Case Competition. 

ILA President & CEO Cynthia Cherrey accepted the donation on behalf of the association and shared a related story about Frances Hesselbein. In addition to being part of ILA's first group of Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, when ILA became a professional membership association and started charging dues, Hesselbein had the honor of being ILA's first dues-paying member. While Frances believed in the importance of honoring what came before, she always said, “What I want to do is invest in the future and pay it forward.”

“John and Steve, that's what you're doing," Cynthia affirmed, adding that she was “truly touched” by their donation. “You are giving it forward. I want to thank you for the work that you're doing and for your stewardship of investing in the future to advance leadership knowledge and practice for a better world. Thank you both.”

Hinck and Davis expressed their gratitude for the award and echoed Hesselbein's words in explaining their inspiration behind the donation. “We've both had different paths to what we commonly refer to as our dream job here at LDC. And along the way, we've been fortunate enough to be helped by many different people in many different ways. Now from our position in our dream jobs, we're more than happy to be able to give that money back to the next generation and help them along their path. We're both very proud and happy to be able to do that.”

Their colleagues at the Ira C. Eaker Center for Leadership Development at Air University recognized their act of generosity by awarding them with the center's Servant Leadership Award. As Colonel Terri Jones, Commander of the Eaker Center related, “It's hard for me to put into words and articulate the impact Dr. Hinck and Dr. Davis have and the effect they have on mission effectiveness for the Air Force as well as on the personal development of our airmen. The effects of what they do - you can't quantify it. It is immeasurable, but we know it is monumental.” 

Lieutenant Colonel Justin Longmire, the Course Director for the Leader Development Course for Squadron Command and host of the award ceremony, closed the ceremony with these important words: “We like to capture moments and we like to emphasize the importance of moments in our leadership course, and this is a moment right now.” Indeed it was.

If you wish to pay it forward like John and Steven, please donate to the International Student Case Competition today.

About the Winners

John M. Hinck is an Assistant Professor of Leadership at Air University, United States Air Force. His areas of specialization include Leadership Development, Organizational Change, and Executive/Leadership Coaching. John works with the Eaker Center for Leadership Development and teaches the Leader Development Course for Squadron Command. He directs the Leadership Horizons Program for the Air War College, oversees the Coaching Certification Program and co-leads the Faculty Development Program. After retiring from the Army, John received his PhD in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego, and is a board-certified executive/leadership coach. He has published books and articles on leadership, coaching, communication, and designing leadership development programs. He is the 2019 Civilian of the Year for Air Education and Training Command, Air University and Eaker Center and the 2020 Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award.

Steven B. Davis is an Assistant Professor of Leadership at Air University, United States Air Force. His areas of specialization include Instructional Methods and Pedagogy, Modern German History, War and Society. Steven works with the Eaker Center for Leadership Development and teaches the Leader Development Course for Squadron Command, where he co-leads the Faculty Development Program. He also teaches in the Leadership Horizons Program at Air War College and offers electives at the Air Command and Staff College. Steven received his PhD in History from Texas A&M University and has published articles on designing leadership development programs as well as 20th Century Central European history and society. He is the 2019 Eaker Center Researcher of the Year.