The College of Wooster wanted to create a formal program to help selected College employees to hone their leadership skills. After meeting with the VP Finance and Director of HR, we suggested a plan for a year of personal and professional growth, where participants:
- Gain valuable leadership skills to help advance their careers
- Learn from experts in Teambuilding, Coaching & Motivating Others, Conflict Resolution, Managing Time & Priorities, Effective Decision-Making, Change Management and Communication – Oral, Written & Presentation Skills
- Understand first-hand out how various departments of the College work by participating in field experience days
- Work with an Executive Coach to create personal goals & action plans for the future
This approach allowed us to capture the uniqueness of The College of Wooster’s culture and the aspects of leadership that are necessary for future leaders. Senior staff mentors were paired with participants for the year-long process, offering a leadership coaching opportunity for the senior staff as well as a collaborative opportunity for participants. Following the first year, each year’s graduates become mentors for the following year’s Leadership Academy participants, thus continuing the learning process for both groups.