Student Leadership Development

Open to all University Honors Program and Lindner Business Honors students that are at or above a sophomore level, this course is intellectually challenging, incorporating multi-disciplinary research (building your toolkit), exemplars (exploring varied role models) and personal reflection (growing awareness of your strengths and values, biases and blind spots).

This course is for the leaders of tomorrow. And tomorrow’s leaders must develop the knowledge and skills to foster an inclusive work environment based on core values to fully leverage potential, ignite innovation and achieve success. The course learning objectives include:

• Developing an exceptional awareness of oneself.
• Building a deep appreciation of and ability to harness diversity of others.
• Developing the capacity to comprehend systems and adapt.

Bennis regularly held meetings at 4:30 a.m., invited student body presidents into his budget meetings and opened his office and home to anyone who wanted to see his process. He knew how to mentor and provide leadership lessons to those around him, especially young people. One of those young people was Bennis' student driver, Neal Novak, A&S ’73, Law ’77, who lived at the Bennis home. Novak recalled how he never wanted to sleep for fear of missing something, like when political activist Daniel Ellsberg showed up at midnight to talk to Bennis several days after the Pentagon Papers were released or the time noted psychologist Abraham Maslow visited for lunch.

In this same spirit (although not at 4:30 a.m.), we wish to extend an invitation to UC students through the Breakfast with Bennis student group. Students are provided with a copy of one of Bennis’ classic books, “On Becoming a Leader,” and breakfast at each meeting. Students can expect to discuss how to apply Bennis’ teachings to their own leadership journey, and hear stories about Bennis from family members, co-authors and/or those he mentored, like Novak.

If you wish to be a part of the Breakfast with Bennis group, please RSVP to WBLI Thornburgh Academic Director Donna Chrobot-Mason at chrobod@ucmail.uc.edu.