While this year’s Bruin Lead sessions posed their own challenges in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty and graduate students successfully facilitated leadership workshops for all Belmont students.
Between the two options, nearly 60 students challenged how they practiced and viewed leadership. Students were able to come together via Zoom to learn and practice exemplary leadership using the Student Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner.
As Zoom continues to play a key role in our current education it certainly allowed facilitators and BOLD to keep the energy alive among students and challenge them to think boldly and organically. For example, students were given the task to acknowledge themselves and their personal goals.
Two students reflected on their Model the Way experiences, one of which is anonymously quoted saying, “Something that stuck with me the most was the premise that I need to strengthen my own personal values before I can express them to others and lead them. It was something I had always struggled with, and BOLD gave me ways to actually go about strengthening them.”
Another student anonymously said, “I have really been challenged to reflect on the Model the Way leadership type. It was my lowest scoring one and I want to take the time this semester to make sure my actions match my values. I want to work on taking and using constructive criticism better.” Bruin Lead and the Student Leadership Challenge gave leaders the ability to acknowledge themselves as an individual first and move on to them as a part of a group.
Facilitators took advantage of Zoom Breakout Rooms for students to work in small groups where they clarified their values and goals as an individual. By modeling the way, students were able to move into inspiring a shared vision, to challenge the process, enable others to act and finally to encourage the heart (the five practices covered in the Bruin Lead curriculum).
As defined by BOLD, leadership at Belmont University is, “A values-driven process of individuals from diverse backgrounds working together to boldly and ethically engage and transform the world.”
Bruin Lead’s overall hope for 2020 is that students take the leadership behaviors that are proven to bring out their best self and work and use it to transform the world. BOLD’s next major event is the Leadership Lately series on November 9.
BOLD is also hosting a self-paced online training program called The Beat – Belmont Ethics and Accountability Training virtually until December 10 for leaders through their Blackboard account. Students can join the BOLD experience in Bruin Link.
To contact the BOLD office, email bold@belmont.edu with any questions.
