Abstract
This dissertation in practice used the phenomenological qualitative method to explore the perceptions of Bureau of Diplomatic Security middle level special agents after attending the US Department of State’s formal mid-level leadership training course (PT207 Intermediate Leadership Skills) at the Foreign Service Institute. The sample consisted of 13 mid-level special agents in Foreign Service grades FP-2 to FP-3, equivalent to Civil Service grades GS-12 to GS-14. Data was collected through the interview method using open-ended questions that discovered leadership skills (if any) the participants retained after PT207 attendance and how the course, if at all, contributed to their professional career development in the federal service. The findings showed that while most participants shared a positive experience with the PT207 course, the same majority perceived the course as being inadequate for covering the supervisory and leadership responsibilities expected of agents. Analysis of the data suggested that creating a Bureau Leadership, Management, and Innovation office, the application of existing Bureau leadership tenets and milestones through the Functional Bureau Strategy, and the formulation of a leadership development continuum for agents and other Bureau employees are the most efficient solutions to furthering leadership development in the Bureau.
Keywords: leadership development, training effectiveness, transformational leadership