Lead
"These I will make my leaders." --Abraham 3:22
For a number of years now, I've studied principles of leadership. Admittedly, my initial interest came through teaching business classes. These students are trained to be leaders, and they see themselves as leaders. Early in the business courses, I introduce the leadership portfolio where students write ten entries exploring their evolving roles in leadership. However, English majors rarely see themselves as leaders, and we never discuss leadership in courses. I've changed that in my classes. I believe that our students are our future leaders, and because of who they are, they have had significant leadership experience--they just don't know it. Consequently, my responsibility is to encourage their developing leadership. I can incorporate leadership into my courses because here at Brigham Young University-Idaho, the disciple-leadership model incorporates leadership as a part of academics. |
Leadership Journals
Business writing students each week write a response to a prompt that encourages them to examine leaders in their lives and their own leadership. Students post their leadership portfolios on to their professional portfolios.
I adapted the prompts from Bill George's True North: Discover Your Own Authentic Leadership. Below are some abbreviated prompts.
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Leadership Traits
Each week we focus on a single leadership trait. These fourteen leadership traits are the US Marine Corps traits of
justice, judgment, dependability, initiative, decisiveness, tact, integrity, enthusiasm, bearing, unselfishness, courage, knowledge, loyalty, and endurance. My teaching assistant John Brassell has written explanations and brief scenarios to accompany each trait. We then add a Mormon Message clip to each trait to make an LDS connection and application. Below are some of the traits with the explanation, scenario, and LDS message. (Click on the picture for the Mormon message.) |
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Leadership Moments
To aid students in understanding the significance their church callings have in developing leadership traits and experience, I created fourteen presentations of quotations that pertain to leadership given in LDS General Conference. We begin each class with a quotation. Students begin to see the interconnectedness of disciple-leadership.
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Leadership in the Home
To enforce the role of leadership in the home, I've been drawn to the Prophet Joseph Smith and his teachings about leadership principles and traits. I have prepared brief presentations of the Prophet's quotations that apply to home and family. I try to include images of my students with their own young families. To the right is Ryan Poulsen and his son Bubs.
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Leadership Presentations
I try to stay alert to books and articles that discuss or apply leadership. If I find something helpful, I prepare a presentation and share principles with my students. I frequently find articles in the Harvard Business Review.
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Leaders
Kim B. Clark, President of Brigham Young University-Idaho, addressed the College of Language and Letters graduates on December 16, 2011, about being strong leaders. His text began with Matthew 20:25-28. Clark encourages students to lead in three principal ways:
1. Lead by example 2. Lead by creating meaning in life 3. Lead through empowering others. He concluded with an admonition to lead as the Savior by studying His life, learning His words, and feeling His love. |