Warren Bennis Leadership Institute

Welcome to the Warren Bennis Leadership Institute!

Created to provide leadership development opportunities for all UC students, we offer workshops, cohort programs, courses and events to strengthen your development across all three areas of leadership: self-leadership, active followership and leading others.  

We do not define leadership as a position, title or rank within a hierarchy. Instead, we define leadership as a set of behaviors that create direction, alignment and commitment. Leadership can be learned and must be practiced.  

We define a leader as someone who assumes a role in where they use their knowledge, skills, experiences and interests that can help them lead themselves and others.

I encourage you to learn more about what we offer, get involved and continue your leadership development journey with us. Join the Bennis Institute in creating a leadership movement to see the leadership potential in yourself and others. Your leadership journey starts here!

Donna Chrobot-Mason, PhD

Academic Director, Warren Bennis Leadership Institute

• Stand out with real leadership experience and microcredentials
• Develop people skills that AI can't replace
• Build a leadership story to market yourself to employers and beyond

Through our “3 R’s”, we pave the path for leadership development by leveraging the Bennis Way — prioritizing relationships, facilitating reflection and practicing resilience.

• Become an Ambassador, join the Student Experience & Alumni Team, or join the Research Lab
• Register for a 60–90-minute experiential workshop or leadership course, including the Bennis Way sequence and Accelerator Honors Class.
• Join a three- to five-month leadership cohort program such as Self-Leadership, Coach to Mentor, or Coaching for Character.
• Partner with the institute to design custom leadership programs for your group. 

"In joining the institute, I saw something bigger than myself: an opportunity to grow and to be challenged. I stepped into a new realm of leadership." — Makena Mobley, former Student Team President

"Through hands-on experiences and workshops, I gained confidence in my ability to lead effectively, start important conversations and inspire others to do the same." — Abbie Millard, Student Ambassador

"I have learned more about accepting responsibility and have been given a clear path to the growth I have been craving in my development. I have become so much more confident in my own voice since I started!” — Rett Kaufman, Student Ambassador

"It is amazing to be in a group of such talented students working, learning and striving together in all majors. Through facilitating workshops and creating new outreach opportunities, I get to grow every day I show up." — Jack Hammersley, Student Ambassador

Warren Bennis Leadership Institute
Steger Student Life Center
Suite 743 A/B
2801 UC MainStreet
Cincinnati, OH 45221
warrenbennislead@ucmail.uc.edu