Kane to publish third edition of leadership textbook

Business administration Professor Gregory Kane will release the third edition of his textbook “Sports Leadership in the 21^st Century” on Dec. 8. The book is co-authored by Laura J. Burton, associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut (UConn).

Published by Jones and Bartlett Learning, the textbook explores leadership in sport management through theory, case studies, and interviews.

The new edition of the textbook features a heavier focus on case studies than previous editions.

“The field of education around leadership has changed,” Kane explained. “There are more case studies (in the third edition) and more guidance to use them as a way to teach.”

New content includes a new chapter that explores leadership development in the sports industry, as well as new material on leading work teams in a post-COVID setting. Kane and Burton also completed trainings at Harvard University to better utilize case studies as a tool to teach leadership.

“We hope readers will better understand how leadership impacts the sport industry from disability sport, to communication, to sport for development, innovation, equity, and more,” Burton added.

Speaking of the duo's third edition of the book, Burton said, “Having the opportunity to continue working together is a gift.” She explained she first met Kane as a classmate while pursuing doctorate degrees at UConn. “I value his expertise, his humor, and his friendship.”

An expanded instructor’s edition includes additional case studies, interviews, and course materials to support classroom instruction. “When you’re writing a textbook, you’re really writing two,” said Kane of the supplement for instructors.

Kane uses the book in his course “BUS 342 – Leadership.” In this class, business administration students utilize case studies, interactive learning techniques, and various projects to learn and apply useful leadership skills in sport and business sectors.

A chapter of the book was written by psychological science Professor Peter Bachiochi, who takes a different approach on leadership in his course “PSY 305 – Leadership in Organizations.” Kane added that “he and I have completely different paths to teaching leadership, yet there are very similar things that we both do in our courses.”

The chapter was written in conjunction with the late Wendi Everton, who was also a psychological science professor at Eastern. The book will include a preface honoring the names of three late authors who made significant contributions to previous editions.

Kane noted that in writing previous editions, he had the opportunity to interview sports leaders for their input. “It’s fun when you get to talk to people in senior management for the Celtics or Red Sox,” he said.

Kane earned his master’s degree in exercise physiology and Ph.D. in sport management from UConn. He has also written numerous publications in leadership and sport management throughout his career.