January 26, 2012
Between preparing a three-course meal, interviewing local leaders and participating in team building exercises, participants in the new Levitt Leadership Institute had the opportunity to receive leadership training that they would not normally be exposed to until after entering the workforce (see the September, 22 Issue of The Spectator).
Former Ambassador Prudence Bushnell, with the assistance of Former Director of the Executive Development of the U.S. Department of State Foreign Institute, Christine Powers, and Assistant Director of Outdoor Leadership, Sarah Jillings, led a group of Hamilton students in leadership training and personal development. The 18 students chosen to participate were selected based on their transcripts, resumes and an application. They recently participated in the first of two week-long sessions, which are committed to preparing the volunteers for the challenges ahead.
The first session of the Institute took place Jan. 8-13. The purpose of the seminar was to jump-start participants’ leadership skills by providing training they would not normally receive until entering the workplace. Students had a chance to practice leadership skills in team initiatives, including preparing a three-course meal for 50 Alternative Spring Break leaders. Other leadership training included the study of leadership-relevant writing and research, team building exercises, conflict management, problem solving, communication, personal reflection and interviewing local leaders.
Concepts such as emotional intelligence, Myers-Briggs personality types and conflict-resolution models helped direct participants’ understandings of how they best function both as individuals and as part of a group. Such lessons translated into a larger understanding of the importance of a follower: that “followership” is integral to a productive, efficient team dynamic.
After the first week of leadership training, Zhuolun Du ’15 said, “LLI is definitely a platform for change. It not only encourages you to step back to examine yourself, but it also urges you to step forward to serve something beyond. With the experience and skills learned, I start to be more aware about the need to lead some differences and the approach to lead some changes.”
Max Schnidman ’14 also commented on the ways in which the first session helped him to grow, “I found the Levitt Leadership Institute to be a powerful, transformative experience. It forced me to confront my skill sets, my strengths, and above all, my weaknesses. However, more than just confronting them, the Institute helped me to acknowledge and improve on them. As a result, it helped me not only to become a better leader but a better follower and a better person.”
The second week of the program will take place in Washington D.C. over March break in coordination with government-focused leaders and Hamilton alumni and trustees. The session will include further study of leadership team initiatives and understanding how Washington with the help of Hamilton alumni and guest speakers. The main team initiative will be dividing students into five groups that will develop and lead half-day programs in different sectors of government.
The Levitt Leadership Institute hopes to promote and encourage leadership training as well as push participants to continue their leadership training in various roles on campus. The value of such an Institute at Hamilton College is seen in the connections already made between this class of Levitt Leaders, who plan to translate lessons learned in their initial training to visible changes on campus and far-reaching influence in the coming years.