Education generally refers to acquiring knowledge without concern about its immediate application. If a potential leader studies mathematics, the logical reasoning acquired might someday help him or her solve a complex problem facing the organization. As a result, the leader’s stature is enhanced. Reading biographies and autobiographies about successful people is a good source of ideas about leadership.

Formal education is positively correlated with achieving managerial and leadership positions. Furthermore, there is a positive relationship between the amount of formal education and the level of leadership position attained. Another key contribution of formal education to leadership development is that enhances a person’s learning agility (the ability to learn). The link between learning agility and leadership is that leaders are required to learn regularly.

The correlation between education and leadership status, however, may not reflect causation. Many people get the opportunity to hold a business leadership position only if they have achieved a specified level of education. A more important issue than the statistical association between leadership and formal education is how education contributes to leadership effectiveness.

Most high-level leaders are intelligent, informed people who gather knowledge throughout their career. The knowledge that accrues from formal education and self-study provides them with information for innovative problem solving. Being intellectually alert also helps them exert influence through logical persuasion.