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Most of the 54 students were already leaders in their
own communities, whether it was for academic or social
based-organizations. They were selected as emerging leaders and
invited to spend a week out of their summer delving into the
philosophical and practical implications of leadership. They were
hoping to learn more about being a leader. What they learned was
that “Successful leadership begins with leading
yourself.” within a ground-breaking community-based six-day
leadership curriculum called Leadershape.
These 54 students started on a journey of
self-exploration that began with ice-breakers, team-building ropes
courses and personality assessments and ended with a vision
statement and blueprint for action that they would take back into
their respective university communities. They were given an intense
experience of the most recent innovations in leadership, along with
time to process and facilitate what these innovations meant to
them. Expert facilitators from both the academic and corporate
worlds led their small group (family cluster) discussions, and
guided them to dig deeper into their awareness of vision, purpose,
integrity and mission.
Learn to lead with integrity is a key phrase in
today’s current corporate and organizational environment.
This program prepared the Miami-Case students to do just that by
guiding them to discover a vision that was crafted from their
hearts. Along the way they were asked to face their own issues of
power and integrity and eventually were asked to prepare formal
action plans to implement their visions that were compelling, bold
future pictures of where they want to be.
These courageous students developed visions such
as these:
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The creation of a whole-campus communication system for students,
staff, and faculty in order to foster better relations.
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A program for under-privileged children in Cleveland to benefit
from some of the research and man (woman) power available from
their medical staff.
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A communications/PR program to communicate the various volunteer
and charitable activities for the students and community to be
involved in.
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Campus-wide initiatives for diversity, and multi-cultural
experiences
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A campus-wide environmental initiative.
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A college accredited curriculum to facilitate “Staying in
Action” of the action plans developed during the Leadershape
program.
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An outdoor education experience for elementary-aged children
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An after-school program for middle-school students to do volunteer
work in the community
Each student had a vision they had passionately
developed. As a facilitator, I’ve kept in touch with many of
the Leadershape students and have been pleased to see the support
to keep their passion for their visions alive. They are continuing
to demonstrate what successful leaders have known all along, the
way to keep the fire going, is to ignite it in someone else. As
they come together to support and fuel each other’s
excitement, they also help to calm each other’s fears and
frustrations. They have created a community of leaders with the
courage to do something more, something more than what they could
do alone.
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Leadershape, Inc.
Leadershape’s Vision
To improve society by inspiring, developing, and supporting
more people committed to “leading with
integrity.”
A university-based high-quality, state-of-the art leadership
program focused primarily on young men and women which facilitates
both an intense initial experience and on-going support to more
effect lasting and real change.
The LeaderShape Institute held its pilot program in 1986 at the
Allerton conference Center near Champaign, Illinois. Originally
developed by Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity as a means of improving
campus leadership, The LeaderShape Institute now serves young
adults representing a wide variety of organizations throughout the
United States.
In 1988, LeaderShape, Inc. was formed as a separate non-profit
corporation to take charge of The LeaderShape Institue and further
its mission of developing young adults to “lead with
integrity.” In 1992, the University of Michigan College of
Engineering invited LeaderShape to create a partnership to bring
The LeaderShape Institue to its campus and run a session of the
program exclusively for Michigan students. This project was very
successful and created the opportunity for more schools to operate
“Campus-based” sessions of the Institute. Thirty-four
partners will conduct campus-based sessions for their students in
2002.
- Bowling Green State University
- Brenau University
- Central Michigan University
- Clemson University
- Denison University
- Eastern Michigan University
- Georgia State University
- Georgia Tech
- Illinois State University
- Indiana University
- Loyola University Chicago
- Marietta College
- MIT
- Meredith College
- Miami University
- Case-Western Reserve University
- Michigan State University
- Michigan Tech
- Penn State
- Purdue University
- Salt Lake City Community College
- The Ohio State University
- University of New Hampshire
- University of Southern California
- University of Georgia
- University of Illinois
- University of Kansas
- University of Michigan
- University of Nebraska
- University of North Carolina-Charlotte
- University of Texas
- University of Utah
- University of Wisconsin
- Washington University
To date, just over 13,000 participants from colleges, universities,
and corporations from across the country have attended The
LeaderShape Institute. In addition, more than 2000 volunteer
faculty have contributed their time and talents since the program
began in 1986.
LeaderShape, Inc. is governed by a Board of Trustees, staffed by a
team of employees, and supported by numerous committed volunteers.
If you want to find out more, please visit www.leadershape.org.
One’s capacity to lead with integrity can be developed
over time through disciplined practice. A commitment to the
discipline of leadership development is a lifetime journey.
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