Empowerment and leadership were the themes at the leadership summit held Tuesday at Memorial Union. The summit was the second installment in the fall leadership trio organized by the Student Leadership Program (SLP), an on-campus group open to all students and formed to educate others about leadership on both macro and micro levels.
The leadership trio, themed “People Management,” was developed early this summer in connection with the principles of SLP.
The main focus of the three summits is to enhance teambuilding and group leadership skills through interaction learning and guest speakers with experience in their respective leadership fields. Andrea Bingen, coordinator of the summit, also noted the long-term effects of the summit and the program as a whole, saying, “It helps develop lifelong skills that will benefit students on all levels.”
This second edition of the summit, themed “Empowering Yourself and Others,” concentrated on just that: empowerment as individuals and as teams, with a focus on leadership.
The summit was kicked off by a discussion led by dean of student housing Lori Berquam, who emphasized leadership empowerment through integrity and attitude. During the hour-long session, the students broke into small groups several times to discuss the topics presented and learn from each other and their real-world experience.
University of Wisconsin women’s basketball coach Jane Albright followed by heading up an inspirational discussion on leadership and the aspects needed to be a great leader. She emphasized the importance of connecting with those you lead by going to their level — a term she described as servant leadership. Bingen summed up the phrase nicely as “leading by bettering the group as a whole and helping them grow.”
The one thing Coach Albright wanted to get across to the students was the work that goes into being a leader on and off the court.
“The thing that people need to know is that it’s hard; you need to have a vision and stay focused,” she said.
She stressed the importance of communication and preparation in overcoming obstacles.
SLP coordinators Angela Pelnar and Sara Shreve felt the speech embodied the theory of relating to those around you.
“She made the issues so personal by drawing from her own life,” Shreve said. “I could really relate — even with no real knowledge of basketball.”
The final summit of the trio, “The Hidden Power of Group Diversity,” will focus on making diversity work for groups in all aspects of daily life. Featured speaker, diversity educator Michael Nejman, will concentrate on what diversity is and how we can apply it to alliances on campus. The summit will be held Nov. 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. in Memorial Union.
To join the summit committee or find more information on the program, call 264-4663, log on to the SLP site at soo.studentsorg.wisc.edu/slp/, or come to a SLP meeting any Monday from 8 to 9 p.m.