David V. Day (psychologist)

David V. Day is an American industrial-organizational psychologist, academic, and author. He is a Professor of Psychological Science, Steven L. Eggert ’82 P ’15 Professor of Leadership, George R. Roberts Research Fellow, and Academic Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College.^[1]

Day is known for his works on leadership, leader development, talent management, and development. His authored works include publications in leading academic journals, including Journal of Applied Psychology and Journal of Management as well as books such as An Integrative Approach to Leader Development^[2] and Developing Leaders and Leadership: Principles, Practices, and Processes.^[3] Additionally, he is a fellow American Psychological Association,^[4] Association for Psychological Science^[5] and International Association of Applied Psychology.^[6]

Day completed his Bachelor of Arts in 1983 from Baldwin-Wallace College in Psychology part-time while working as an unskilled hourly worker at Ford Motor Company. In 1987, he obtained a Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology followed by a Ph.D. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron in 1989.^[1]

Day began his academic career in 1988 as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Louisiana State University, where he remained until 1991. He then joined the psychology department at Pennsylvania State University, first as an Assistant Professor from 1991 to 1996, then as an Associate Professor from 1996 to 2002, and finally as a Professor until 2006. During his time at Penn State, he also held a concurrent role as Director of Graduate Training in the Department of Psychology. From 2006 to 2008, he was a Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University. Between 2008 and 2016, he held the Winthrop Professorship and the inaugural Woodside Chair in Leadership and Management at the University of Western Australia Business School. Since 2017, he has been Professor of Psychological Science, Academic Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute, and Steven L. Eggert ’82 P’15 Professor of Leadership at Claremont McKenna College.^[1]

In his early research, Day examined how executive leadership influences organizational performance, critiqued flaws in succession studies, argued leadership matters for organizational performance, and proposed guidelines for developing a comprehensive theory of executive leadership.^[7] He conducted a meta-analysis of LMX literature, found significant links with job outcomes, evaluated measurement tools (favoring LMX-7), noted moderate leader-member perception agreement, and showed overlap between LMX and transformational leadership constructs.^[8] He also reviewed leadership development by clarifying key concepts, examining practical methods, and integrating relevant research. His research emphasized bridging science and practice by developing both human and social capital within organizational leadership efforts and by distinguishing leader development from leadership development.^[9]

Through his research, Day examined how leadership effectiveness developed over time in action learning projects, highlighted individual differences, the influence of leader identity and goal orientation, and identified two distinct developmental trajectory patterns using growth modeling.^[10] He also reviewed leadership development theory and research across individual, dyadic, and organizational levels, explored what constituted leadership and development, identified indicators of growth, and highlighted experiences and interventions that enhanced leadership capabilities.^[11] In addition, he proposed an integrated leadership development system, focusing on individual and relational identities at lower levels and collective identities at higher levels, outlining cross-boundary collaboration to align leader and leadership development across organizations.^[12] Furthermore, he co-authored a book titled An Integrative Approach to Leader Development. The book presented a research-based framework for leader development, integrating theories from adult development, psychology, and education to explain how individuals grew into effective leaders through cognitive, ethical, and identity-based transformations.^[2] In a review published in Integral Leadership Review, the book was noted as being ‘’Mindful of the fragmented approaches to developing leaders and leadership’’. However, the review also highlighted the lack of explicit reference to integral theory, as well as the greater focus on individual leader development over collective leadership development.^[13]

Day collaboratively reviewed 25 years of research on leader and leadership development, focusing on intrapersonal growth, 360-degree feedback, longitudinal studies, and methodology, while proposing future research directions to advance the field.^[14] His co-edited book The Nature of Leadership offered a student-friendly guide to leadership theory and practice, covering classic models, social and cultural dynamics, ethics, and research methods.^[15] More recently, he has authored a book Developing Leaders and Leadership: Principles, Practices, and Processes, wherein he has explored evidence-based processes and theories behind developing leaders and leadership, focusing on individual and collective growth over time, and drew from psychology, management, and education to explain how leadership capacity is effectively built.^[3] Additionally, he authored another study, wherein he critiqued current leader self-awareness methods and proposed a place-based reflection protocol to foster deeper, holistic self-understanding. The study also emphasized reflective judgment and how formative environments shaped leadership identity and effectiveness.^[16]

• 2010 – Walter F. Ulmer Jr., Applied Research Award, Center for Creative Leadership^[17]
• 2024 – Eminent Scholar Award, Academy of Management Network of Leadership Scholars^[18]
• 2024 – Lifetime Achievement Award, International Leadership Association^[19]

• An Integrative Approach to Leader Development (2008) ISBN 9780415964630
• The Nature of Leadership (2017) ISBN 9781483359274
• Developing Leaders and Leadership: Principles, Practices, and Processes (2024) 9783031590672

• Gerstner, C. R.; Day, D. V. (1997). "Meta-analytic review of leader–member exchange theory: Correlates and construct issues". Journal of Applied Psychology. 82 (6): 827–844. doi:10.1037/0021-9010.82.6.827.
• Day, D. V. (2000). "Leadership development: A review in context". The Leadership Quarterly. 11 (4): 581–613. doi:10.1016/S1048-9843(00)00061-8.
• Day, David V.; Sin, Hock-Peng (2011). "Longitudinal tests of an integrative model of leader development: Charting and understanding developmental trajectories". The Leadership Quarterly. 22 (3): 545–560. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.04.011.
• Day, David V.; Dragoni, Lisa (2015). "Leadership development: An outcome-oriented review based on time and levels of analyses". Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior. 2: 133–156. doi:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032414-111328.
• Day, D. V.; Fleenor, J. W.; Atwater, L. E.; Sturm, R. E.; McKee, R. A. (2014). "Advances in leader and leadership development: A review of 25 years of research and theory". The Leadership Quarterly. 25 (1): 63–82. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.11.004.