This institute is a two-day intensive program designed to challenge students to think critically about leadership and how they can apply their own skills as young leaders. The program is both theoretical and practical in nature. It utilizes reading assignments, multi-media resources, and lecture-style seminars to expose students to the fundamental ideas and theories of leadership. These themes are then put into action through exercises and activities that encourage students to think creatively and develop their personal leadership philosophy as well as valuable leadership skills they can use in their daily lives.
The institute begins with a critical look at the idea of leadership. Students consider their own perspective on leadership and develop ways to express those views. Similarly, they look at followership and its relation to successful leadership.
The program includes activities to help students clarify their own leadership skills and how to implement them in their own lives. They look at leadership from individual as well as group standpoints. Students solidify a foundation for the rest of the institute by beginning their studies with a broad but significant look at the basic roles and circumstances that influence leadership.
After studying the basics, students explore the importance of community and serving others as leaders. They engage in a series of discussions and exercises with a strong emphasis on exploring the ways they can apply their own leadership skills to serving others in their own community.
The institute also looks at the role of ethics and moral dilemmas, which are the most crucial aspects of leadership. Students have the opportunity to evaluate and deliberate real case studies dealing with tough ethical dilemmas. Students reflect on how their own personal values will help them make ethical decisions as leaders.
A final major component to the institute is looking at leadership as an active process. Students engage in a large-scale activity which allows them to stretch their creative muscles and fuse leadership themes from the institute into a real leadership strategy. This session reinforces the fact that students can make important contributions in the world as leaders and provides an opportunity for them to put their leadership skills into action.
For more information, please contact:
Jeanne Blakeslee,
Director
E.E. Ford Leadership Institute at SPSG
(443) 632-1032
jblakeslee@spsfg.org
