Sociolinguistic research is interested in the way people, including leaders, use language to construct and perform social identities. Given that an increasing number of professional women have to do leadership side by side with men, this case study research, which was conducted at the Lebanese International University, studied gender and leadership styles from a qualitative content analytical perspective. More specifically, it sought to determine male and female leadership styles and to investigate their linguistic practices through the analysis of self-reflections and interviews. The researcher used five male and five female coordinators’ self-reflections and transcribed interviews that were collected, analysed and categorised to find out any differences in the leadership style and language use of male and female leaders in the academic settings. The findings showed the influence of the genders in their choice of linguistic expressions indicating the noteworthy dominance of the two prevalent dimensions in leadership styles, namely, transformational and transactional. Keywords: Gender leadership styles, gender linguistic practices, transformational leadership, transactional leadership, Lebanon.

Lebanon has always been unstable on the political and the national security levels. The youth in Lebanon did not have the privilege of stability to engage in civic activities and become active citizens. The youth need to collaborate with adults to explore different issues and opportunities to develop civic engagement in their own society. This study is an exploratory research which reveals the need for constructive plans in higher education in Lebanon that will lead youth to civic engagement and competence. It also focuses on exploring the existence of university curriculum that fosters the actual implementation of civic engagement and civic competency programmes. Data were collected using a qualitative framework. University students’ civic competency, knowledge, skills, participation in civic engagement, attitudes and efficacy are assessed by using focus group discussions with students and instructors. The research outcomes provide a foundation for the sustainable interventions through the development of a university curriculum.   Keywords: Civic engagement, civic competency, Lebanon.