WashU senior Natalia Ramos is set to graduate in May with a degree from Arts & Sciences and a Leadership Development Badge from the Bauer Leaders Academy. Both matter.
“The badge shows the world that I have put in the work to grow as a leader and build my interpersonal and communication skills — skills that are foundational for my future,” said Ramos, who is studying psychology and educational studies and aspires to be an education policymaker and advocate as an attorney.
To earn the Leadership Development Badge, students at Washington University in St. Louis complete four leadership workshops, three one-on-one leadership coaching sessions and an experiential leadership experience, which can range from serving as a student ambassador to organizing a service project to leading a student club. The program is available to all undergraduate students at no cost.
“Leadership is happening everywhere on campus,” said Tierra Fields, associate director of leadership programs at the Bauer Leaders Academy. “We want to help students reflect and make meaning of what they are already doing and provide a personalized pathway to continue that growth.”
Digital badges and certifications are growing in popularity as a way to demonstrate to employers important competencies. Fields developed the academy’s badge, which students can display on their LinkedIn profiles, to be rigorous but attainable. Most students complete the badge in two to three semesters. Currently, 55 students are pursuing the badge, with more signing up every day.
WashU Leadership Week
When: Oct. 20-25
Highlights: Leadership Expo, Oct. 20
Staff Leadership Day, Oct. 21
Leadership keynote speaker LJ Punch, MD, Oct. 21
Faculty Leadership Day, Oct. 22
Elevating Excellence: “Leadership that Transforms Medicine,” Oct. 23
She Leads Symposium, Oct. 24
Leaders Cup Challenge, Oct. 25
More info: WashU Leadership Week
Workshops include sessions on leading difficult conversations, facilitated by the “Dialogue Across Difference” program; leading through strengths, facilitated by WashU’s certified Clifton Strengths coaches; and developing shared purpose with Andrew Knight, executive director of the Bauer Leaders Academy and a senior advisor to the chancellor for leadership. Other workshops focus on developing emotional intelligence, building trust and collaboration.
Students also participate in one-on-one sessions with International Coaching Federation-certified coaches, who help students define their purpose, analyze their talents as identified by the Clifton Strengths assessment tool and set goals. Ramos found the coaching experience invaluable. She is friendly and outgoing, but said she can struggle with public speaking and directing her peers.
“The coaching made me realize how much I had to learn about leadership and, honestly, myself,” Ramos said. “My coach helped me to step into my discomfort and say yes to doing things like public speaking that I had avoided. It’s pretty unusual for a college student to have access to this sort of personalized support.”
Students apply the lessons learned to their work on and off campus. Though many badge candidates hold leadership roles on campus, Fields stressed that leadership is not about title, but influencing and energizing others to achieve a common goal. That was another important lesson for Ramos.
“When I came to college, I wasn’t thinking about what it means to be a leader. Or, even, is leadership a skill that can be developed,” Ramos said. “But through this process I’ve learned all of the different ways — through listening, through collaboration — that people can show up as a leader.”
The Leadership Development Badge is one of several initiatives the academy has introduced since its launch last year. The academy hosts Bear Beginnings programming for all new students; cohort programs for student athletes, international students, Taylor Fellows and Danforth Scholars; and workshops for programs such as the Office of Sustainability’s SPARK program and the Gephardt Institute’s St. Louis Fellows. The academy also awards grants to faculty who incorporate leadership into their coursework. New classes include “US-China Relations From Conflict to Engagement” with Zhao Ma, an associate professor of modern Chinese history and culture in Arts & Sciences, and “First-Year Foundations for Engineers” with LaVeasey Carter, an assistant dean at the McKelvey School of Engineering.
The academy also spearheads WashU Leadership Week, which comprises programs for students offered by the academy, sessions for faculty by the provost’s office, workshops for staff by Human Resources and a full day of programming for WashU Medicine faculty by the Office of Faculty Promotions & Career Development. Highlights of the week are keynote speaker LJ Punch, the She Leads Symposium and the Leaders Cup Challenge, a team-based competition where students develop leadership skills through games and fun activities.
The goal, Fields said, is to provide every member of the WashU community the opportunity to grow as a purpose-driven leader.
“WashU is breaking new ground in leadership education,” Fields said. “Our graduates will graduate with not just the academic knowledge to thrive but the skills and training to lead.”
