Business schools have an important role to play in students' career leadership development. This study examines factors influencing business students' intentions to someday be a top executive (CEO). Using the theory of planned behavior, we find intentions to someday be a CEO are driven by students’ behavioral, normative and control beliefs regarding the CEO position. We also find that female students report lower CEO intentions as well as lower behavioral, normative and control beliefs regarding the CEO position. The impact of gender on CEO intentions is mediated by behavioral and control beliefs. Implications for leadership development activities in and out of the classroom for students during their important “impressionable years” are discussed.

商学院在学生的职业领导力发展中起着重要作用。这项研究探讨了影响商科学生有一天成为高级管理人员（CEO）意图的因素。使用计划的行为理论，我们发现有一天成为首席执行官的意图是由学生对首席执行官职位的行为，规范和控制信念所驱动的。我们还发现，女学生报告的CEO意图较低，以及关于CEO职位的行为，规范和控制信念较低。性别对首席执行官意图的影响是由行为和控制信念所介导的。讨论了学生在重要的“可印象的岁月”中进出课堂的领导力发展活动的意义。