From Pawn to King: Leveraging chess for leadership development through creative education

Chess is a valuable pedagogical tool to teach leadership concepts, but also many abstract subjects that require critical thinking. This article explores chess as a pedagogical tool for teaching leadership, management, and social justice concepts in public administration. Corresponding to life and leadership, chess requires strategic thinking, adaptability, and a deep understanding of relationships and values. These elements make chess a powerful tool for fostering cognitive skills, strategic planning, decision-making, and problem-solving among students. Drawing on theories of leadership, such as Northouse’s Leadership Theory and the Constructivism Learning Theory, this teaching case study uses the Confederate Monument Removal and Racial Justice in Baltimore to provide an overview of how chess can be integrated into the curriculum to enhance students’ understanding of leadership and management in public affairs education.