Bachelor's degree students passed the first exercise of Jamestown Business College's new LEAD program not only without any hiccups - they blew the program's organizers away.
LEAD - Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Diversity training - is designed to provide students with the professional savvy, decision-making abilities and managerial etiquette necessary to excel in leadership roles.
The program was officially launched at the start of the spring term in March with a cohort-style reading of Lincoln On Leadership by Donald T. Phillips, complete with a book discussion and analysis in blog format.
Jessica Golley, JBC director of marketing and communication and head developer of the LEAD program, said that while there were high expectations for students going into the activity, they went above and beyond as they dove headfirst into the text and their engagement on the blog.
''They really took off with the activity,'' Ms. Golley said. ''They were bringing in outside sources, bringing in their own experiences, and I think they really enriched the first section of this activity - my hope is that it will just continue to grow, and each section will feed off the one before.''
The LEAD program will continue later in the term when students work with a local business leader in an activity that will help them explore personal accountability, Ms. Golley said.
Lincoln On Leadership is a book that closely examines the leadership style of President Abraham Lincoln, looking at his techniques and strategies for dealing with personal setbacks, working with subordinates, maintaining the respect of the people, and everything else that comes with being a successful leader. The students read the book over the course of the two-week activity period and, responding to prompts posted by Ms. Golley on the blog, had spirited discussions in which they talked about important lessons that could be gleaned from Lincoln and taken into the world of modern business.
''You start out with an activity like this not knowing exactly what to expect, and they exceeded the initial expectations by far,'' Ms. Golley said. ''Now that I've gotten to know the thoughts of these students more, I'm confident that as they head into future professional positions, further education if they choose, or just personal enrichment, they'll take this activity and just continue to expand and grow upon it.''
Students asked said that they gained a great deal of insight from both the book and from the blog-discussion process itself. Gregory Humm said that the interaction with both fellow students and JBC staff members - Ms. Golley and JBC President David Conklin were regular contributors to the threaded discussions - on the blog provided a chance to learn that was unlike that he receives in the classroom on a regular basis.
''If I was at home and had all my work done, what else would I do? I'd probably want to relax - this kept my mind going,'' Humm said. ''You have to always be thinking if you want to expand your knowledge, so this was great. This really got my thinking process jump-started.''
LEAD stands for Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Diversity. It is the bachelor's degree equivalent to the school's EDGE - Etiquette, Dress, Goals and Ethics - program for associate degree students.
