Leadership styles refer to a leader's manner of motivating people, providing them with direction, and implementing plans. It was proposed that graduate students of Valdosta State University may show frequent innovative traits within their leadership styles of choice, in order to project the leadership style of future public administrators. The leadership characteristics were operationalized through survey questions, and the responses of 54 current and former graduate students of Valdosta State University working in public management were analyzed. A majority of graduate students reflected ambitious traits consistent with innovative leadership styles. Fewer graduate students felt satisfied with their jobs and fewer graduate students reflected myopic management traits; satisfaction and myopia were traits of traditional leadership styles. Leadership style innovation is a viable topic with potentially broad application. This dissertation could inspire further study about what other factors compel a leader to develop a new, innovative leadership style.