| Values are the foundation of the social work profession (Day, 2006; Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, Strom-Gottfried, & Larsen, 2006; NASW, 2007). Various leadership models are compatible with social work values and stress the importance of values as a strong foundation (Bass, 1990; Bergmann, 1999; Greenleaf, 1997; NASW, 1999). The compatibility between social work values and leadership models suggests that the social work profession would produce a myriad of leaders, yet the opposite exists, a lack of social work leaders and a lack of empirical research on the topic (Brilliant, 1986; Claiborne, 2004; Hopps, 1986; Marshall & Altpeter, 2005; Perlmutter, 2006; Rank & Hutchison, 2000). This qualitative, phenomenological study explored the perceptions of leadership, including the role of professional values, among 20 social work leaders located within the Tampa Bay Area of the State of Florida. The study incorporated the use of the Rank and Hutchison (2000) interview tool to explore social work leaders' perceptions in defining the concept of leadership, identifying the importance of professional values and skills, and creating a mission for social work leaders. This study discovered themes consistent themes with the Rank and Hutchison research and various leadership studies. The study also contributed to the sparse body of literature addressing social work leadership and recommended further study of the topic as the profession faces the needs of a growing and aging society. |
