When we envision the traditional classroom setting, we tend to visualize the power at the front of the room. The instructor is standing over a podium while the students are seated looking up at the one who holds the future of their course grade. The instructor asks a question and the student answers. The instructor administers an exam, and the student is expected to know the materials to receive a passing grade. Yet, research has found that organizations are in dire need of transformational leaders, and too often, faculty practice traditional bureaucratic pedagogies that neither model nor develop the values and skills that students need to become transformational leaders (Luechauer & Shulman, 2007).
So, what if we expected more from our students? What if we relinquish some of the power to watch our students succeed? Or show them the way to persevere when they fail? What if our goals in the classroom included leadership development and our syllabi contained an inclusive tone with listed course activities that support professional development? As faculty members, we can inspire students who are eager to learn and grow. We are placed in a unique position to educate, but also to lead.
My charge for us as faculty is to be open-minded and push the traditional power boundaries of the classroom. By allowing students the chance to succeed, we are inspiring a group of future leaders who will feel both empowered and motivated. While leadership skills are relevant for all students, I believe it is important to continue to examine how we set our students up for success both on campus and beyond.
I have found the following four tips helpful for creating leaders inside the classroom:
1. Create an inclusive learning environment
While research traditionally focuses on the power of inclusive leadership from an employment standpoint, I believe the same power exists within the classroom. Regardless of course format, instructors must foster a positive learning environment. Learning and leadership are processes and fostering positive emotions in the classroom is key to motivating students. As students feel positive about their learning environments, they are more likely to get better grades (Weissman, 2022). It can be assumed that students are also less likely to be motivated to go above and beyond in a negative course setting. To truly foster leadership, faculty should be prepared to revise syllabi to include a positive and motivating tone, while focusing on a growth mindset and sense of belonging. I have found that using a variety of teaching strategies in addition to implementing games, trivia, and group presentations is helpful for increasing classroom engagement.
2. Encourage critical thinking
A leader must have the ability to communicate effectively, think critically, and handle a level of debate. In my courses, I like to focus on presenting hot topics and current events, which challenge my students to consider alternate viewpoints and perspectives. While it is necessary to establish ground rules for participation, I have tried several methods for encouraging student participation. In my experience, I receive the most engagement when I:
- Give my students time to brainstorm a topic of discussion.
- Allow them time to discuss the topic with their partner.
- Ask students to share their ideas with the class.
- Follow these steps up with future questions and positive reinforcement for all contributions.
To follow up the discussion, I have asked my students to write a one-minute paper as an overview. I have also conducted my own informal evaluation of the discussion, taking notes of what was successful and what was not successful.
3. Promote extracurricular involvement
Students often get excited to learn more about extracurricular opportunities. Oftentimes, students are so occupied with work, courses, family, etc. that they don’t always have time to research internship opportunities, professional development events, or graduate programs. I have promoted involvement off-campus in the following ways:
- Career fair involvement: Our department hosted a career fair with vendors from across the stage. I encouraged students to attend and provided them with a resume clinic beforehand. Students secured internships and summer jobs with organizations across the state.
- Guest speakers: I have brought guests to my classes who have promoted various local organization partnerships, summer internships, as well as graduate programs related to my students’ interests and degrees.
4. Give students responsibility
I have found that one of the most effective teaching strategies in my courses is to clearly define the task at hand while providing the students with a level of responsibility. Not only does this allow students to make decisions that naturally improve their leadership skills, but it opens the door to constructive feedback and positive reinforcement. As faculty, we can model transformational leadership by empowering our students. Here are several examples of activities I have done which have given my students a level of power:
- Fundraising challenge: My students were responsible for fundraising for a local charity through our athletic department on campus. The group with the most raised funds won a backpack with university gear.
- Career fair tabling: My students set up a table to promote a local business at a networking event. They were responsible for set-up, research, facilitation, and tear-down at the event.
- Local business promotion: My class helped promote a local business by creating a social media campaign with strategies, posts, and creative ideas.
My students enjoy activities that allow them room for creativity and hands-on involvement. In the past, many of my students expressed appreciation for practical assignments which required them to “step up and lead.” They have also reflected on their growth in just one semester after being challenged to lead in these various capacities.
Rachel Elms is an assistant professor of sport management at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. Her work focuses on leadership promotion and advancement of female leadership within the sport industry. In her role as assistant professor, she teaches a variety of sport management courses in addition to assisting in the Sport Impact Lab on campus.
References
David L. Luechauer & Gary M. Shulman (1996) Training transformational leaders: a call for practicing empowerment in the classroom, International Journal of Public Administration, 19:6, 827-848, DOI: 10.1080/01900699608525122
“Facilitating Effective Discussions | Centre for Teaching Excellence.” n.d. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/catalogs/tip-sheets/facilitating-effective-discussions
Hess, P. W. (2007). Enhancing Leadership Skill Development By Creating Practice/Feedback Opportunities in the Classroom. Journal of Management Education, 31(2), 195-213. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562906290933
Lathan, Joseph, PhD. 2024. “10 Traits of Successful School Leaders.” University of San Diego Online Degrees. February 19, 2024. https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/effective-educational-leadership/
Weissman, Sara. n.d. “Better Classroom Experiences, Better Grades.” Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs. https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2022/07/14/better-classroom-experiences-better-grades
