LEADERSHIP JOURNAL ARTICLE CRITIQUE 1
Leadership Journal Article Critique
Student Services Leadership
Dr. Lynn Stock
School of Education, Liberty University
Leadership Journal Article Critique Abstract
This critique examines the article An Integrative Systematic Approach to Supporting
Student Wellness: An Applied Case Example by Brann, Gallagher, Noltemeyer, and Bush (2024).
The article explores how schools can build comprehensive systems to address the academic,
emotional, and social needs of students across grade levels. Using Kouzes and Posner’s Five
LEADERSHIP JOURNAL ARTICLE CRITIQUE 2
Practices of Exemplary Leadership as a lens, this paper critically reviews the strengths and
limitations of the study, then considers how the findings can be applied to leadership practices
in student support services. The analysis emphasizes the importance of modeling effective
systems of care, fostering collaboration, and inspiring shared goals among staff, students, and
families.
Critical Review
Brann et al. (2024) present a timely argument that schools must adopt integrative and
systemic models to support student wellness. The article’s strength lies in its clear articulation
of how wellness can be embedded into daily school practices rather than treated as an isolated
initiative. By grounding their framework in evidence-based practices and real-world application,
the authors demonstrate how schools can create scalable and sustainable support systems.
However, the article offers limited discussion of potential barriers such as staff resistance,
competing priorities, and funding constraints, which may impede the implementation of
wellness models in resource-limited schools. From the perspective of Kouzes and Posner (2021),
the article strongly reflects Inspire a Shared Vision by advocating for a unified approach to
wellness, but it could have more fully addressed the leadership challenge of Challenge the
Process by acknowledging and preparing for systemic obstacles.
Application to Leadership Practice
The findings from Brann et al. (2024) align closely with my leadership philosophy as a
student support leader. Effective leadership in student services requires not only responding to
crises but also proactively shaping schoolwide systems that nurture students’ well-being. This
mirrors Kouzes and Posner’s practice of Model the Way, as leaders must embody
traumainformed and wellness-oriented values to establish credibility. The article also reinforces
the practice of Enable Others to Act by emphasizing collaboration among teachers, counselors,
administrators, and community partners to sustain wellness initiatives. Additionally, I see direct
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application of Encourage the Heart in celebrating incremental successes, such as reductions in
behavioral referrals or improved attendance, which can sustain momentum among staff and
families. By integrating these practices, leaders can transform wellness from a peripheral
service into a core feature of the educational experience.
Conclusion
Brann et al. (2024) provide valuable insight into how schools can embed student
wellness into systemic frameworks, offering both a rationale and a practical case for doing so.
While the article is aspirational in tone and could have further explored implementation
challenges, it nonetheless provides a solid foundation for understanding how wellness
initiatives can be scaled across K–12 environments. Viewed through the lens of Kouzes and
Posner’s Five Practices, the article underscores that effective leadership requires inspiring
vision, modeling values, empowering collaboration, challenging systemic barriers, and
sustaining morale. Applying these practices to student services leadership ensures that wellness
becomes a shared responsibility, allowing all students to thrive academically, socially, and
emotionally.
Reference
Brann, K. L., Gallagher, M., Noltemeyer, A., & Bush, K. (2024). An integrative systematic
approach to supporting student wellness: An applied case example. Education Sciences,
14(4), 355. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040355
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2021). The leadership challenge: How to make extraordinary
things happen in organizations (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
