Although there are no all-encompassing theories of adult learning, it is important to be
aware of what each of the primary theories proposes. Merriam and Caffarella (1999)
suggest that “learning is a personal process…the context of adult life and the social
context shape what an adult needs and wants to learn and, to a somewhat lesser extent,
when and where learning takes place” (p. 1). A leadership development program that
incorporates the thinking of behaviorists, cognitivists, social learning theorists and
developmentalists will not only involve learners at a higher level, it will help architects of
leadership development programming design and implement interventions and
environments more conducive to learning. And it seems to me, that it what we are trying
to do – create interventions and learning opportunities that are truly transformative in
nature.