Introduction
Presenter(s):
Judith A. Dilts, William Jewell College
Sylvia Nadler, William Jewell College

Introduction

A Leadership Initiative is an experiential learning activity designed to help participants explore various aspects of leadership. Experiential learning occurs as a person engages in an activity, looks back at the activity critically, abstracts some useful insight from the analysis, and puts the result to work in another situation. It is an inductive process, proceeding from observation rather than from a priori "truth." The effectiveness of experiential learning is based on the fact that nothing is more relevant to us than our own reactions to, observations about, and understanding of an activity or idea. Further, as research has shown that people learn best by "doing," leadership initiatives are "hands on" experiences.

Using the experiential learning cycle described below, you will explore some dimensions of leadership, including the importance of having:

• A big picture orientation
• A vision and clearly defined goals
• Regular feedback on progress toward achieving those goals trust

Further dimensions of leadership to be explored include considering:

• Shared leadership (followership)
• Differences in leadership styles (directing, coaching, supporting, delegating)
And finally, you will explore the importance of:
• Communicating clearly
• Collaborating effectively
• Listening well
• Thinking through problems toward solutions
• Being able to deal with ambiguity
• Performing under pressure
• Being able to perform under pressure

It is our hope that you will enjoy participating in the Leadership Initiatives and will perhaps want to use such initiatives and the Experiential Learning Cycle in your own spheres of leadership.