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Leadership    |    Purpose    |    Vision    |    ​Mentoring  Teamwork   |   Leadership Skills   |   ​Emotional Intelligence

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Development Leadership Skills

Developing leadership skills can have a profound impact on both personal and professional aspects of life. Here are some key benefits:
​

1. Enhanced Decision-Making: Strong leadership skills help you make informed and effective decisions, even under pressure.
2. Improved Communication: Leaders learn to communicate clearly and persuasively, which is crucial for motivating and guiding teams.
3. Increased Confidence: As you develop leadership skills, your confidence grows, enabling you to take on new challenges and responsibilities.
4. Better Team Management: Effective leaders can build and manage high-performing teams, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment.
5. Career Advancement: Leadership skills are highly valued in the workplace, often leading to promotions and new opportunities.
6. Conflict Resolution: Leaders are equipped with the tools to handle conflicts and disagreements constructively.
7. Strategic Thinking: Developing leadership skills enhances your ability to think strategically and plan for the long-term success of your organization.
8. Personal Growth: Leadership development encourages self-awareness and continuous personal improvement.

​

There are many inspiring leadership quotes out there! Here are a few notable ones:

1. "A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves." — Lao Tzu[1]
2. "Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." — Warren Bennis[1]
3. "The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things." — Ronald Reagan[2]
4. "Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others." — Jack Welch[1]
5. "A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them." — M.D. Arnold[2]

For a comprehensive list, you can check out articles from Inc.com[2], Forbes[1], and Wisdom Quotes[3].
References
[1] 100 Best Quotes On Leadership - Forbes
[2] The 100 Best Leadership Quotes of All Time - Inc.com
[3] 100 Leadership Quotes To Inspire You (And Your Team) - Wisdom Quotes

There are several leadership styles, each with its own unique approach and impact. Here are some of the most common ones:
​

1. Autocratic Leadership: This style involves making decisions unilaterally, without much input from team members. It can be effective in situations requiring quick decision-making.
2. Democratic Leadership: Also known as participative leadership, this style encourages input and collaboration from team members. It can lead to higher job satisfaction and creativity.
3. Transformational Leadership: Leaders who adopt this style inspire and motivate their team to achieve extraordinary outcomes. They focus on vision, change, and innovation.
4. Transactional Leadership: This style is based on a system of rewards and punishments. It is effective in achieving short-term tasks and maintaining routine operations.
5. Laissez-Faire Leadership: This hands-off approach allows team members to make their own decisions. It works well with highly skilled and self-motivated teams.
6. Servant Leadership: Leaders prioritize the needs of their team members and focus on their development and well-being. This style fosters a supportive and collaborative environment.
7. Situational Leadership: This adaptive style involves changing leadership approaches based on the situation and the needs of the team. It requires flexibility and awareness.

Articles about Leadership 

Research Says Leaders Who Inspire Others to Greatness Always Show These 3 Qualities A Columbia Business School psychologist has identified three universal behaviors of the most inspiring leaders.
  
I have been teaching Leadership classes in the Hispanic Center at Becton College of Arts and Sciences at FDU for past 11 years and enjoy working with current leaders and future leaders who show the passion to want to learn how to lead and to continuously improve their leadership skills.

As has been said by many "there are leaders and there are followers", the world needs more leaders. You do not have to look far to see examples of great leadership and to also see what the impact is of poor leadership.

​I run a class LinkedIn Group to support leadership discussions on the key subjects that        I am teaching and offering 1 on 1 sessions and customized workshops.

Leadership skills are critical need in your profession, in your community and your life..

Feel free to come see some of our discussions in the linked in group:  ​https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8158471

Articles of interest

McKinsey Quarterly 

​How leaders kill meaning at work

7 Prominent Leadership Trends For Companies In 2025

Free Self Test on Leadership

www.leadershipfirst.net/

Here are some of Cory Booker's notable leadership quotes:

1. "Leadership is not a position or a title, it is action and example."[1]
2. "No matter what, we always have the power to choose hope over despair, engagement over apathy, kindness over indifference, enthusiasm over lethargy, love over hate. This is our true freedom."[1]
3. "Don't let your inability to do everything undermine your determination to do something."[1]
4. "The right attitude can transform a barrier into a blessing, an obstacle into an opportunity or a stumbling block into a stepping stone."[1]
5. "First class in life has nothing to do with the clothes you wear, the car you drive or the house you live in. First class is and always will be about the content of your character, the quality of your ideas and the kindness in your heart."[1]

These quotes reflect his emphasis on action, positivity, and character in leadership. 

References
[1] TOP 25 QUOTES BY CORY BOOKER (of 88) | A-Z Quotes


helping- D E & I

​Richard Pete Hill
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Consultant- Army Veteran- African American History Podcaster

​I consider equity, diversity, and inclusion to be an incredibly powerful concepts when one considers the meaning of each word. To illustrate this, equity is a word that conveys empathy and compels us to provide resources according to the individual's needs.  Diversity refers to the awareness that there is someone missing due to a policy, procedure, or practice that, on its surface, appears neutral, but actually serves as a mental or physical barrier.  

Then there is inclusion, which implies that after we have welcomed a range of highly qualified individuals, we must intentionally include them in decision-making processes or risk unintentionally excluding them. It has long been my conviction that equity, diversity and inclusion cannot simply be a slogan. Instead, these words must communicate to the workforce and to the general public the commitment of the organization's leadership team to disrupt its status quo.

All too often, leaders buy into the idea of equity, diversity, and inclusion, but fail to take the necessary steps to empower supervisors, employees, and the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) officer. I am not sure whether this is a deliberate decision or if it is the result of an oversight. In my experience, if leadership is not fully committed, then it will be difficult to change behaviors and beliefs that contributed to the culture of exclusion.

While serving in the United States Army, the world's greatest organization, I gained a deep understanding of the 11 Universal Principles of Leadership.  The principles teach leaders the importance of self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication skills. When I lead EDI workshops I refer to the 11 Universal Principles, and I'm amazed at how little executive leaders know about the existence of these universal principles.  This is not a judgment statement, I am simply pointing out that this valuable information is not universally known.

As far as I know, no successful EDI program has ever been implemented without senior leadership support.  Conversely I do not possess enough digits to count the number of failed EDI programs that were underfunded and ignored by the very people who insisted that an EDI office be created in the first place. My starting point for this article was to highlight the power of EDI when it is properly supported.  To conclude, I would like to note that if you are reading this article, you fall into one of two categories.  You are either consciously and intentionally supporting the EDI program in your organization, or you are unconsciously and unintentionally subverting it.

I strongly encourage all of you to research the 11 Universal Principles of Leadership, as I am confident that there are solutions there for every problem a leader, teammate, or employee might face. Since 1948, the 11 Principles have been used by the Department of Defense, and if the government can rely on them for national security, I am confident that they will also benefit your organization.

-Richard Pete Hill
11 Timeless Principles of Leadership (US Army 1948)
A good leader frequently sets aside quiet time for reflection and journaling.  No matter where you are on your personal leadership journey these timeless principles can provide you a useful tool for that periodic review.
1.  Know yourself and seek self-improvement
2.  Be tactically and technically proficient
3.  Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions
4.  Set the example
5.  Know your people and look out for their welfare
6.  Keep your people informed
7.  Ensure the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished
8.  Develop a sense of responsibility among your people
9.  Train your people as a team
10. Make sound and timely decisions
11. Employ your unit in accordance with its capabilities
​
Leadership in Job Search

• The Skills/Qualities Employers Want in New College Graduate Hires
• 25 Leadership Qualities: Essential Skills & Traits Great Leaders Have
• Easy Ways Anyone Can Start Developing Leadership Skills at Work

7 Habits You Should Pick Up if You Want to Be Seen as a Leader

1. They Never Speak Too Much

2. They’re Flexible

3. They Don’t Argue

4. They Stay Active in the Community

5. They Think Several Moves Ahead

6. They Time Things Carefully

7. They Distinguish Themselves

Leadership is both a research area and a practical skill encompassing the ability of an individual or organization to "lead" or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The literature debates various viewpoints: contrasting Eastern and Western approaches to leadership, and also (within the West) US vs. European approaches. US academic environments define leadership as "a process of social influence in which a person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task".  

Leadership seen from a European and non-academic perspective encompasses a view of a leader who can be moved not only by communitarian goals but also by the search for personal power.

Studies of leadership have produced theories involving traits, situational interaction, function, behavior, power, vision and values, charisma, and intelligence, among others.

• ​8 Traits of Exceptional Engineer Leaders 
• Business Development
• Business/Entrepreneurship
• Career Goals and Challenges
• Communication/Public Speaking
• Credentials
• Enlightenment
• Ethics & Integrity
• Job Search/Salary/Relocation
• Leadership/Management
• Mentoring
• Networking/Client Relations
• News and Events
• Organization/Productivity/Time Management
• Personal Development and Professionalism
• Program Management
• Project Management
• Travel
• Work Life Balance

Bill Belichick On Leadership, Winning, Tom Brady Not A 'Great Natural Athlete’ 
(Exclusive) | CNBC
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2qhLmdpWBI

Great leadership starts with self-leadership | Lars Sudmann | TEDxUCLouvain 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlpKyLklDDY

How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlpKyLklDDY

What Every Executive Needs to Know about Leadership and Management
​
​1. What is Leadership?

• What leadership is, and what leadership is not
• Why leadership skills are important for engineers and technical professionals
• Differences between leadership skills and management skills
• Self-analysis of key leadership skills to improve
• Five levels of leadership

2. How to Develop Trust and Respect

• Characteristics that help credibility and perceived integrity
• Characteristics that hurt credibility
• Self-assessment

3. The Art of Influence

• Building rapport with business associates
• Helping others to see your view
• Influencing your boss
• Case study: System Architect with Poor Leadership Skills
• Influencing other leaders
• Understanding the process of “give and take”
• Influence vs. authority

4. Self Assessment of Leadership Ability and Potential

• Attendees assess abilities in 3 key areas and come up with a score that illustrates strengths and specific leadership skills to develop

5. Project Leadership and Project Management

• Overview of leadership skills necessary to effectively lead projects
• Opportunities to distribute project leadership and management responsibilities
• Case study: Sharing of Project Leadership and Management Responsibilities
• Overview of project planning skills and tasks
• Key project leadership skills
• Case study: Outstanding Project Leader (a role model for project leaders)

6. Contents of Personalized Development Plans

• Identify and prioritize three key things they will influence at work
• Identify and prioritize five leadership and management competencies to develop
• Identify three to five people to build rapport with who can help them become more influential, and determine how to go about building rapport with each person
• Use self-assessments to identify and prioritize competencies related to building trust and respect, influence, and dedication to being a leader
• Find at least one leadership mentor

The Characteristics of a Good Leader

What makes a good leader? Here are some of their most important characteristics:

Self-Awareness. You have an intimate knowledge of your inner emotional state. You know your strengths and your weaknesses. You know when you’re working in flow and you know when you’re over worked. You know yourself, including your capabilities and your limitations, which allows you to push yourself to your maximum potential.

Self-Direction. You’re able to direct yourself effectively and powerfully. You know how to get things done, how to organize tasks and how to avoid procrastination. You know how to generate energy for projects, to calm yourself when angered. You can make decisions quickly when necessary, but can also slow to consider all the options on the table.

Vision. You’re working towards a goal that’s greater than yourself. It could be something small, like the success of the team, or a larger vision like world peace. Working towards a vision is far more inspiring than working towards personal gain.

Ability to Motivate. Leaders don’t lead by telling people what they have to do. Instead, leaders cause people to want to help them. A key part of this is cultivating your own desire to help others. When others sense that you want to help them, they in turn want to help you.

Social Awareness. Understanding social networks and key influences in that social network is another key part of leadership. Who in the organization has the most clout, both officially and unofficially? Who moves the hearts of the group?

webinar Leading Teams Through Change  Terrence Seamon
Articles on Leadership

• ​Leadership Psychology Today
• ​10 Common Leadership Styles
• ​How to Lead from Where You Are
• ​What Employers Look For In Future Leaders 
• How To Speak In Sound Bites
• ​Top Ten Traits of Great Leaders
• Personal Branding Is A Leadership Requirement, Not a Self-Promotion Campaign
• The 9 Traits That Define Great Leadership
• ​7 Leadership Books That Good Bosses Read (Because Managing Is Hard)
• ​How Sports Can Teach Workplace Leadership Skills
• 10 Outstanding Leadership Skills Employers Want to See 
• ​When we tell people to do their jobs, we get workers. When we trust people to get the job done, we get leaders.
• ​Successfully Navigating the Transition from Peer to Boss
• 30 Ways to Define Leadership
• What Makes a Leader?
• 6 Types of CEOs You Should Never Work For
• LEAD THIS WAY

Leadership from below

• What It Takes: Leadership From Below

Leadership Advice

​The traits of a good leader include:

• Emotional intelligence (includes social skills, empathy)
• Self-aware and confident
• Capable of self-management
• Able to communicate ideas and direction
• Self-motivated

​
​ Emotional Intelligence          Books Emotional Intelligence
​
Emotional Intelligence in Leadership: Why It's Important
Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you. The term was first coined in 1990 by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salovey, but was later popularized by psychologist Daniel Goleman.

Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

Most of these traits tie directly into emotional intelligence (EQ). Leaders with high EQ are intrinsically more self-aware. They understand their mental processes and know how to direct themselves. They’re more in touch with what they’re deeply passionate about. They naturally care more for others and receive more compassion in return. They’re more socially in tune.

Leadership is more often than not about “soft skills” rather than hard skills. Yes, a leader who understands what drives the bottom line is valuable. Yet it’s the leader who can get others to perform at their best who ultimately creates winning organizations.
Emotional Intelligence – A Non-Negotiable Competence For Leaders
​https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/emotional-intelligence-in-leadership#:~:text=Emotional%20intelligence%20is%20defined%20as,popularized%20by%20psychologist%20Daniel%20Goleman
​
Books on Mentoring

Alumni Mentoring​The Benefits of Establishing a Student/Alumni Mentoring Program

​Mentoring | Alumni

Mentoring

In the years since we started NhN we have had a large number of mentoring that has occurred through our program to both match up recent college graduates with NhN members and to match members who may be transitioning to other fields with members who are accomplished in those particular fields.
  
We have found great results when recent grads and our experienced members exchange information and share networking skills and contacts.

Recent Graduates looking for a mentor please contact me with your area of interest.
Experienced Members who would like to offer to be a mentor please contact me with your area of expertise.

​​Why mentoring is unlike any other professional relationship

​Mentoring New Graduates
​
According to an article called "Congrats, graduate - good luck finding a job" that appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle last month, "A recent poll by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 22 percent of college recruiters do not plan to hire any fresh graduates this spring, and 43.6 percent said they'll hire fewer graduates than they did last spring."

It's a tough job market, especially for fresh faces with little experience. This is where mentoring can really help. Remember, you don't necessarily need to be in a corporate environment to work under the gaze of a mentor: sometimes it's a matter of asking someone to mentor you.

Do you know of someone just graduating college or graduate school? Here's some advice you can give the person on how to set up an informal mentoring relationship:

Become involved in your alumni association. You've just become an alumnus, so it's a perfect entry to the membership. The alumni association may already have a mentoring program or something like it.

Have career conversations with experts in your field. This is different than networking to find a job. Career conversations are focused on listening to someone's career journey. Through these conversations, you will get to know someone and can ascertain if s/he might be the right mentor for you. It will also make it easier to "ask" this person to be your mentor.

Don't try to find just any mentor. Find the "right" mentor for you. This means being clear about what you're looking for, what you need in a mentor, and what personality/communication style will work best for you. This takes time and preparation, and if you need some assistance, subscribe to one of our flagship products, Mentor-Quest, as a resource to guide you in finding the right mentor. It's affordable, and it's guaranteed to get your mentoring juices flowing. (Mentor-Quest was recently nominated for a Stevie Award!)

Don't give up till you find your mentor. Mentors are invaluable in supporting a mentoree during a job search or in a new job. They offer encouragement, a second opinion, a supportive environment, and they are an advocate of your development. And mentors do this for free! Their satisfaction is being able to see you grow as a result of their support. So as a first step in creating a super future for yourself, find that mentor.
​
http://www.nationalmentoringmonth.org/_nmm/images/MPM_Toolkit_FINAL.PDF
Training and Development Career Development

• Individual Development Plans
• Individual Learning Accounts
• Mentoring
• Coaching

Individual Development Plans Career development planning benefits the individual employee as well as the organization by aligning employee training and development efforts with the organization's mission, goals, and objectives. An individual development plan (IDP) is a tool to assist employees in achieving their personal and professional development goals. IDPs help employees and supervisors set expectations for specific learning objectives and competencies. While an IDP is not a performance evaluation tool or a one-time activity, IDPs allow supervisors to clarify performance expectations. IDPs should be viewed as a partnership between an employee and their supervisor, and involves preparation and continuous feedback. Many agencies require IDPs for new and current employees, and encourage employees to update them annually.

When using an IDP, supervisors develop a better understanding of their employees' professional goals, strengths, and development needs. Employees take personal responsibility and accountability for their career development, acquiring or enhancing the skills they need to stay current in their roles. Some of the benefits of an IDP are:

• Provide an administrative mechanism for identifying and tracking development needs and plans
• Assist in planning for the agency's training and development requirements
• Align employee training and development efforts with its mission, goals, and objectives

There are no regulatory requirements mandating employees complete IDPs within the Federal Government, although many employee and leadership development programs require IDPs (e.g. PMF Program). Completing IDPs is considered good management practice, and many agencies have developed their own IDP planning process and forms. While there is no one "correct" form for recording an employee's development plan, an effective plan should include, at minimum, the following key elements:

• Employee profile - name, position title, office, grade/pay band
• Career goals - short-term and long-term goals with estimated and actual completion dates
• Development objectives - linked to work unit mission/goals/objectives and employee's development needs and objectives
• Training and development opportunities - activities in which the employee will pursue with estimated and actual completion dates. These activities may include formal classroom training, web-based training, rotational assignments, shadowing assignments, on-the-job training, self-study programs, and professional conferences/seminars
• Signatures - supervisor and employee signature and date

For more information on IDPs and to view IDP templates, please visit the OPM Training and Development Wiki.

Executive Development Plans While there are no regulatory requirements for IDPs, Senior Executive Service (SES) members are required to have a plan for their continued training and development. Under 5 CFR 412.401, all Senior Executives must complete and regularly update an Executive Development Plan (EDP).

Facing constant challenges, changing technologies, and a dynamic environment, executives must pursue ongoing professional executive development to succeed and grow. It is crucial that executives continue to strengthen and enhance their Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), broaden their perspectives, and strengthen their performance.

Federal agencies are required by law (Title 5, U.S. Code, Section 3396) to establish programs for the continuing development of senior executives.

SES members are required to prepare, implement, and regularly update an EDP as specified by 5 CFR 412.401. The Executive Development Plan (EDP) is a key tool in assisting executives in their continued development. EDPs should outline a senior executive's short-term and long-term developmental activities which will enhance the executive's performance. These activities should meet organizational needs for leadership, managerial improvement, and results.

EDPs should be reviewed annually and revised as appropriate by an Executive Resources Board or similar body designated by the agency to oversee executive development. OPM has developed a sample EDP template for agencies to reference when developing their own EDP form. You can find the sample template and other information on EDPs on the Training and Development Wiki.

If you have any questions regarding training policy or executive development, you can contact the Training and Executive Development Group by sending an email to [email protected].

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action | Talk Video | TED.com
5 Ways Reading Makes You a Better Leader

Emerging Leaders: Learn to lead with purpose
​The Emerging Leaders professional development program is designed to help aspiring leaders in the nonprofit and public sectors develop the leadership capabilities, management skills, and confidence to advance their professional contributions and accelerate their careers.

The program is intended to yield tangible, near-term value to participants (and their employers) and support their longer term leadership development. It employs experiential learning and outside experts and speakers to weave the following learning tracks together:

• Hard Nonprofit Skills & Management Training
• Individualized Leadership-in-Action “Stretch” Goals
• Leadership Competencies – e.g., Self-awareness, Team Dynamics
• Advising– Periodic Conversations With Nonprofit Leaders
• Expert Panels and Guest Speakers, Including Executive Directors
• Facilitated Peer Support

Emerging Leaders is currently offered in two formats:

1. a hybrid cohort, based in New York City
2. a 100% virtual cohort, offered on Eastern Standard Time (EST), for professionals in U.S. cities.

​
The program is designed to accommodate those with full-time jobs and requires employer cooperation as well. The program runs for a total of 8 full-day, monthly sessions from September through April. All sessions are held on weekdays. Since 2011, over 290 talented young leaders have graduated from the program, with another 32 currently enrolled each year.

​To learn about the Emerging Leaders experience, you can read more here. To apply, visit the Applications page.

 Amazon Best Sellers visit Bookstore 

Top Selling Leadership Books
​on Amazon 2024

Ask Professor John
​Bookstore

Books Emotional Intelligence

Books on Mentoring

This course/workshop will examine changing topics in leadership. Participants will examine current practices and policies which promote high-impact leaders.
Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice  ​5th Edition

The Fifth Edition of Peter G. Northouse’s bestselling Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice provides readers with a clear, concise overview of the complexities of practicing leadership and concrete strategies for becoming better leaders. The text is organized around key leader responsibilities such as creating a vision, establishing a constructive climate, listening to outgroup members, and overcoming obstacles. Case studies, self-assessment questionnaires, observational exercises, and reflection and action worksheets engage readers to apply leadership concepts to their own lives. Grounded in leadership theory and the latest research, the fully updated, highly practical Fifth Edition includes a new chapter on destructive leadership, 18 new cases, and              5 new Leadership Snapshots. 

Click on cover to Buy on Amazon

9th Edition

10th edition

​SlideShare Leadership

Free Self Test on Leadership

​Articles on Leadership
​
​Leadership Psychology Today
​
10 Common Leadership Styles
​
​How to Lead from Where You Are

​What Employers Look For In Future Leaders 

How To Speak In Sound Bites
​
​Top Ten Traits of Great Leaders
​
Personal Branding Is A Leadership Requirement, Not a Self-Promotion Campaign

The 9 Traits That Define Great Leadership
​
​7 Leadership Books That Good Bosses Read (Because Managing Is Hard)
​
How Sports Can Teach Workplace Leadership Skills
​
10 Outstanding Leadership Skills Employers Want to See 
​
​When we tell people to do their jobs, we get workers. When we trust people to get the job done, we get leaders.

​Successfully Navigating the Transition from Peer to Boss
​
30 Ways to Define Leadership
What Makes a Leader?
​
6 Types of CEOs You Should Never Work For
LEAD THIS WAY
​
​Leadership from below
What It Takes: Leadership From Below

Leadership Advice
The traits of a good leader include:

• Emotional intelligence (includes social skills, empathy)
• Self-aware and confident
• Capable of self-management
• Able to communicate ideas and direction
• Self-motivated

Bill Belichick On Leadership, Winning, Tom Brady Not A 'Great Natural Athlete’  

Great leadership starts with self-leadership | Lars Sudmann | TEDxUCLouvain 

How great leaders inspire action  Simon Sinek   

Alumni Mentoring​The Benefits of Establishing a Student/Alumni Mentoring Program

​The 10 Most Powerful College Alumni Networks

1. Penn State
2. Harvard
3. NYU
4. Michigan
5. Univ. of Penn
6. Princeton
7. MIT
8. Univ. Virginia
9. Dartmouth College
10. Northwestern University

            ​Mentoring | Alumni

​MPW Insider is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions.

Today’s answer for: Why is it important to have a mentor? is written by Jenni Luke, CEO of Step Up.

Mentorship is powerful and incredibly useful in anyone’s career. This kind of constructive guidance is unlike any other professional relationship. But a successful mentorship requires both parties to be vulnerable. We will all experience highs and lows during the course of our career. And moving past what we previously believed to be our limits can feel uncomfortable. Yet it really is a moment to be celebrated because it marks a new stage of growth. As mentors, we need to explain that success is not a linear path—and that’s okay. As mentees we need to be willing to share the experiences we’d rather keep to ourselves.

Leadership is mentorship in action. Before I became a CEO, my definition of leadership was ‘I’m the CEO, therefore I have to know everything.’ I know view leadership as having a vision, sharing it with others, acknowledging the opportunities and challenges, and engaging others to make the vision a reality. This is when vulnerability is necessary. Sharing a vision for something and asking others to follow you is an inherently risky move. Admitting what you don’t know and asking for help is risky, too.

Leaders who lead from this perspective are those I’m most interested in learning from; the mentor I seek and hope to be. I’m committed to going beyond my limits not only because my limits become my organization’s limits, but because others see it. And whether I succeed or fail, there is a lesson to be learned along the way.

Read all answers to the MPW Insider question: Why is it important to have a mentor?

Why you don’t need a mentor to be successful by Beth Brooke-Marciniak, Global Vice Chair of Public Policy at Ernst & Young.

What qualities should you look for in a mentor? by Gay Gaddis, CEO and founder of T3.

4 things to consider before choosing a mentor by Camille Preston, founder of AIM Leadership.

The most important quality a mentor should have by Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn.

Why women are more likely to be mentors by Alyse Nelson, CEO and co-founder of Vital Voices Global Partnership.

3 reasons every employee needs a mentor by Sally Blount, Dean of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
​
Why this AOL executive chooses her mentors — wisely by Allie Kline, CMO of AOL, Inc.

BUSI_3200_P1: Topics in Leadership I
Summer 2025
Metropolitan Campus
5/19/2025 - 8/9/2025
Fully Online No Meeting Times

Here are some engaging project ideas for an undergraduate leadership class, focusing on various leadership topics:
​
1. Leadership Styles Analysis

• Objective: Explore different leadership styles (e.g., transformational, transactional, servant leadership) and their impact on organizational culture and performance.
• Activities:
  • Conduct surveys or interviews with leaders in different fields.
  • Analyze case studies of successful leaders.
  • Present findings in a comparative analysis report.

2. Leadership in Crisis Management

• Objective: Understand how effective leadership can navigate organizations through crises.
• Activities:
  • Study historical examples of crisis management (e.g., natural disasters, financial crises).
  • Role-play scenarios to practice decision-making under pressure.
  • Develop a crisis management plan for a hypothetical organization.

3. Ethical Leadership

• Objective: Examine the role of ethics in leadership and decision-making.
• Activities:
  • Analyze ethical dilemmas faced by leaders in real-world situations.
  • Host debates on controversial leadership decisions.
  • Create a code of ethics for leaders in a specific industry.

4. Leadership and Team Dynamics

• Objective: Investigate how leadership influences team performance and cohesion.
• Activities:
  • Conduct team-building exercises and assess their effectiveness.
  • Study the impact of different leadership approaches on team dynamics.
  • Develop strategies for improving team collaboration and communication.

5. Leadership Development Programs

• Objective: Design a comprehensive leadership development program for emerging leaders.
• Activities:
  • Research existing leadership development programs.
  • Create a curriculum that includes workshops, mentorship, and experiential learning.
  • Present the program to peers and gather feedback.

6. Women in Leadership

• Objective: Explore the challenges and opportunities for women in leadership roles.
• Activities:
  • Interview female leaders about their experiences.
  • Analyze gender disparities in leadership positions across industries.
  • Develop initiatives to support and promote women in leadership.

7. Leadership and Innovation

• Objective: Understand the relationship between leadership and innovation in organizations.
• Activities:
  • Study leaders who have driven innovation in their fields.
  • Conduct workshops on creative thinking and problem-solving.
  • Develop a plan to foster innovation within a hypothetical organization.

8. Global Leadership

• Objective: Examine the qualities and strategies of effective global leaders.
• Activities:
  • Analyze the leadership styles of prominent global leaders.
  • Study the impact of cultural differences on leadership.
  • Create a strategy for leading a multinational team.

9. Leadership and Communication

• Objective: Investigate the importance of communication skills in effective leadership.
• Activities:
  • Conduct workshops on public speaking and active listening.
  • Analyze the communication strategies of successful leaders.
  • Develop a communication plan for a hypothetical organization.

10. Leadership and Change Management

• Objective: Understand how leaders manage organizational change.
• Activities:
  • Study case studies of successful change initiatives.
  • Role-play scenarios involving organizational change.
  • Develop a change management plan for a hypothetical organization.