Accomplishments

LEAD’s Philosophy and Innovation

Our philosophy and what makes LEAD unique and essential:

  • Two important aspects come directly out of MasonLeads’ innovative work:
    • MasonLeads’ core leadership assumption #4: “Leadership does not require a formal position.
      • “Leadership is not a specific title, position, or role. Leadership can be practical and embodied in many ways within the lives of individuals and at the university.
      • Because Leadership does not require a formal position it can be essential to have a stand alone office to highlight this. LEAD’s founders knew this well
      • “Have you ever been in a group or organization where the members showed better leadership that the person in the position of power?” Invariably people say “Yes”.
      • Quote from 2015-2016 LEAD student when asked “How is LEAD valuable and unique: “We constantly practice non-positional leadership and I don’t think that’s something that is easy to keep in mind if LEAD doesn’t specifically exist to make sure that it does.”
    •  MasonLeads’ core leadership assumption #8: “Leadership is ethical and values driven”
      • Ethics is at the core of all our leadership development work, as stated on our new take5.gmu.edu website:
      • “Ethics illuminates how we should live and lead, like light illuminates the dark. Leadership without ethics is, at its best, aimlessly stumbling around in the dark, and at its worst, purposefully creating darkness for others.”

  • High impact practices for student leadership development
    • According to the Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (MSL) Insight Report, there are 4 “High Impact Practices” for Student Leadership Development, these drive our work:
      • Socio-cultural Conversations (e.g. Leadership Mason Conference focused on Student Activism; “Right, Wrong or Different?” which brings together faculty members with international and domestic students around values-based leadership topics)
      • Mentoring Relationships (e.g. Leadership Consultants)
      • Community Service (Sustainable partnership with Mason Life)
      • Involvement in Off-Campus Organizations (Importance of sustainable service like our partnership with Hampton Middle School)
        • *These take time and need quality and depth so that we are not just hitting on superficial development. However, we also have broad impact… (see below)
          *Citation: Dugan, J. P., Kodama, C., Correia, B., & Associates. (2013). Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership insight report: Leadership program delivery. College Park, MD: National Clearinghouse for Leadership Programs.

  • LEAD’s work was reviewed by an unbiased 3rd party.
    • George Washington University’s “Leadership Initiatives Development Report”
      • “The initial review showed 23 of 25 peer institutions engaged in student affairs-based leadership programming. These 23 universities produce 113 individual leadership initiatives, averaging 4.91 programs per institution. George Mason University produces the most content quantity with 12 programs, followed closely by the University of Miami (11) and the University of Chicago (10).”
      • Best practices mentioned in the study
        • Use of the Social Change Model
        • Use of StrengthsFinder
        • Having an academic connection
        • Offering LeaderShape

  • LEAD has greatly increased our reach over the past few years.
    • 6,320 participants in 2017-2018, up from 1,441 in 2009-2010, a 339% increase.
    • 87 leadership workshops facilitated in 2017-2018, up from 27 in 2009-2010, a 222% increase.
    • Great breadth and depth of impact for 3 full time staff.
    • Staffing has remained about the same and budgets have been reduced.
      • Full-time staff has stayed the same for the past  7 years due to the meaning and impact of our work and how we support one another and our students.

  • Student stories
    • “I enjoyed interacting with President Cabrera which helped demystify leadership as something that is attainable. While he is such a highly accomplished individual, he modeled humility and expressed genuine interest in our opinions. I enjoyed the deep philosophical challenges.” ~ President’s Leadership Seminar Participant
    • “The conference was a dream come true for me. I have always been passionate about [leadership and well-being]. I learned how to balance different aspects of everyday life in order to be more efficient as a leader.” ~ Leadership Mason Conference participant
    • “I’ve always had experience with leadership roles, but I never truly learned to be a leader until LeaderShape. I am able to understand differences in group members, enhance them, and know when and how I can contribute.” ~LeaderShape Institute participant
    • “Visiting Auschwitz concentration camp impacted me deeply and helped me to truly understand the responsibility that we all have to be active citizens of the world.” ~Ethics and Leadership: Lessons from the Holocaust participant

  • Examples of Innovation
    • LEAD recently received 3 grants
      • “Seat at the Table” grant with faculty members Wendi Manuel-Scott and Angie Hattery
      • Global Education Office (GEO) grant to develop a new global leadership program
      • Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) grant to develop a new global leadership program
    • Virtual Learning/Online
      • Partnered with Birgit and Karen and just launched 2 NEW websites
      • NEW ethical decision-making quiz (recently sent out to all UL)
      • Educational videos for distance learners
    • Academic connections
      • Partnering with CAART for UNIV 100 leadership sessions
      • Partnering with Business School for potential of integration with Management students
      • Partnering with SIS for INTS 404: Ethics and Leadership course
      • Partnering with SAIL for Holocaust program in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic
      • Partnering with SAIL and GEO for future global program (received 2 grants mentioned above)
    • Partnering with many offices, including ODIME and maybe OSI for fall Leadership Mason conference hit timely topics like student activism, unity during turbulence
    • Partnering with Office of the President for President’s Leadership Seminar & Freedom and Learning Forum
    • Partnering with SSAC and WGST for Fear2Freedom
      • Combating sexual assault through leadership
    • Partnering with OIPS and various faculty member for “Right, Wrong or Different?”
      • Bring together domestic and international students
      • This program has gained national attention and has been selected as one of 14 programs from across the country to be a “best practice” for integrating international and domestic students.
    • Partnering with OFPS for new “Leadership and Community Service Quill Camp” in 2019
      • They reached out to us
    • Partnering with SAIL, ODIME and Hampton Middle School for sustainable service
      • Hits much of MSL research findings
    • Partnering with Graduate Student Life (Austin) on leadership training for graduate students
    • Potential new program in spring around a specific cohort
      •  1st gen, off-campus, international students, LGBTQ, etc.
    • Partnering with Mason Life for series of workshops
    • Partnering with many offices for workshops/trainings
  • A university for the world, needs to help develop leaders for the world. LEAD is thriving at this! Let’s keep it going!

 

  • LEAD’s Leadership Consultants, under the leadership of Lisa Snyder, received the Jack Wood Award for Town Gown Relations for their community engagement work. The award was presented to Lisa and the Leadership Consultants by President Cabrera.

 

Another data point about our workshops:

  • From 2013-2018, 87% of participants in our leadership workshops (over 3,700 people across a wide variety of workshops including: StrengthsFinder, Team Building, Ethics, Communication) agreed or strongly agreed with the following statement: “As a result of this workshop, I can describe at least one way that I could help make a positive change.”

Another thing that shows our innovation is my work with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum…

  • Nick collaborated with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) to help develop 2 Ethical Leadership educational modules (Conformity and Rationalizations) that they use on their website to help professors and students explore how these challenges to ethical behavior and leadership played out in the context of the Holocaust and to pose larger questions about how these challenges confront us today. Here is the website that has the modules: https://www.ushmm.org/learn/introduction-to-the-holocaust/ethical-leaders/overview/ethical-leadership

 

More details about the George Washinton University leadership programs report:

  • LEAD was featured in a recent Leadership Programs report done by George Washington University (June 2016).  I am happy to send the attachment if you are interested to read more…
    • Of the 25 programs that they looked LEAD was one of 5 (Duke, Mason, Vanderbilt, Emory and Northwestern) that they looked at in more detail “… as a result of their vibrant programs or applicability to the GW context”.
    • They also mentioned that: “The initial review showed 23 of 25 peer institutions engaged in student affairs-based leadership programming. These 23 universities produce 113 individual leadership initiatives, averaging 4.91 programs per institution. George Mason University produces the most content quantity with 12 programs, followed closely by the University of Miami (11) and the University of Chicago (10).”

National reach:

  • Nick has presented at multiple national conferences increasing LEAD and Mason’s visibility nationally:
    • International Leadership Association (ILA)
    • Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE)
    • Association of Leadership Educators (ALE).