About This Journal & Calls for Submissions
About the Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies
The Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies, with the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies, is concerned with advances in the study of leadership. We seek to inform scholars interested in the historical, present-day, and ethical implications of leadership (i.e., leadership as it was, is, and ought to be). To this end, IJLS promotes both quantitative and qualitative, theoretical research-based inquiries into the study of leadership in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. The journal and its authors emphasize explorations into continuities and changes not just in leadership, but also the field of leadership studies. IJLS focuses intently on interdisciplinary research into matters of leadership and comparative approaches to leadership studies.
Call for Papers for Issue 5 (2026): Leadership, Work, and Play
IJLS is seeking proposals for our 5th (2026) issue around the topic of “Leadership, Work, and Play.” We are interested in articles, opinion pieces, and book reviews that fit within the intersections of two or more of the key themes: leadership, work, and/or play, including articles that discuss the various relationships between leadership and leisure. We are soliciting pieces from all disciplines and approaches, including, but not limited to, the humanities, social sciences, management, and educational disciplines.
Examples of articles that would fit within the scope of this issue might include discussions of historical leadership structures in employment; the role of games-as-social-change in either the past or the present; lessons in leadership we might learn from children’s play; and so on. Submitters are encouraged to take open approaches to the topics of leadership, work, and play.
Submissions should be formatted in accordance with the standards of the primary discipline (i.e., APA for Psychology) using Chicago citations (author-date for social sciences, footnotes for the humanities) and follow the policy and layout guidelines for the journal.
The Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies, with the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies, publishes a wide range of high-quality scholarship. In addition to the Open Call for Papers (below), the Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies, with the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies, publishes a wide range of high-quality scholarship. For our journal’s fifth volume, we are currently accepting paper proposals that examine leadership, work, and play.
We welcome both collaborative and individual-based papers. Submissions must be received by or before September 1, 2026 for inclusion in the 2026 issue (Volume 5). Papers must be submitted using this online portal and follow the guidelines outlined at Submission Guidelines.
Open Call for Papers
The Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies, with the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies, publishes a wide range of high-quality scholarship. We are currently accepting paper proposals on all research-based, quantitative and qualitative topics regarding leadership and leadership studies. We welcome both collaborative and single-authored papers. Papers must be submitted using this online portal and follow the guidelines outlined at Submission Guidelines.
Open Call for Commentaries
The "Commentaries" section of IJLS is designed for a more casual, yet still scholarly, approach to modern topics relevant to leadership studies, including contemporary social, political, or philosophical debates, popular culture, or new innovations in science, technology, or business. Pieces for "Commentaries" should be designed to help scholars and teachers think about and have access to new ideas that are still percolating, ideas that reach across disciplinary boundaries, and ideas that might be more accessible to undergraduate or high school students without an extensive background in leadership studies. Submissions should be grounded in evidence, but may be more casual in tone, have less extensive citations, and be shorter in length than a standard academic article in the author's field. Submissions should be made using the online portal and otherwise follow the guidelines at Submission Guidelines.
Open Call for Book Reviews
The Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies, with the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies, aspires to keep scholars of leadership studies abreast of the newest scholarship in the field. We aim to raise awareness about new books and their usefulness to the study of leadership by a rigorous process of assessment. Reviews of books and the books under review should focus squarely on interdisciplinary material that advances and contextualizes our understanding of leadership and leadership studies. To this end, we welcome both solicited and unsolicited book reviews (the latter subject to approval by our editorial board). These reviews vary in length from 500 to 1000 words. For reviews of single-authored monographs, the standard length is 500 words; for multi-authored, edited volumes and essays, the standard length is 1000 words. For more information on the IJLS book review guidelines, please review our Submission Guidelines.
Open Call for Special Issues
The Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies, with the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies, seeks fully-edited Special Issue proposals to be published in the same year as our regular issues. Proposals for Special Issues should include a 250-500 word description of the theme or topic of the issue along with a drafted call for submissions to the Issue or abstracts for all proposed chapters (if the issue is already fully planned). All articles for Special Issues will be subject to peer review, as well as the editorial review of the editors in charge of the Special Issues. Special Issue proposals should be submitted using this online portal and follow the guidelines outlined at Submission Guidelines.