ÌÇÐÄVlog

Entering into the Southern Leaders program, all students begin their journey as Emerging Leaders. The Emerging Leaders tier is based on the tenets of transformational leadership developed by Kouzes & Posner’s (1987) : Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and Encourage the Heart.

Students will engage with each of these practices of leadership and more through the Emerging Leaders’ curriculum, which includes: 

• Emerging Leaders events
• Complete the first portion of your LinkedIn project

During the Emerging Leaders tier, Leaders get the opportunity to learn more about the Southern Leaders program as a whole. Emerging Leaders will participate in events that help them get to know other people in the program. Each Emerging Leaders event is put on by the Southern Leaders staff as well as a group of upperclassmen Southern Leaders known as Facilitators. Throughout their first year, participating in these Emerging Leaders events will help to make new Southern Leaders feel a strong sense of belonging within the program and will be a great way to forge life-long friendships with your fellow leaders!

Learning Objectives

After completing the Emerging Leaders tier, students will be able to:

• Explain their personal definition of leadership
• Identify their personal core values and character strengths
• Explain how values and character strengths influence the leadership process
• Describe different styles of leadership
• Articulate the key aspects of their personal leadership style
• Describe the role of ethics in self-leadership
• Explore intersecting identities and how these inform leader identity
• Examine the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership ®

Leadership Competencies

Through Emerging Leaders, students will develop the following leadership competencies ():

• Self-Understanding
• Personal Values
• Ethics
• Reflection & Application
• Self-Development
• Empathy
• Vision

Leadership Certificate

After finishing the curricular and co-curricular requirements for Emerging Leaders, students will receive a certificate at the end of the year.

In the Team-Based Leadership tier of Southern Leaders, the name of the game is teamwork! Through the LEAD 2000 course: Collaborative Leadership, Leaders will engage with interactive course materials that focus on important tenants of teamwork including: group development, conflict navigation, working with diverse teams, and building resilient teams. Team-Based Leaders will also have the chance to see these concepts in action through the Leadership in Action project, a group project aimed at helping out in the local community.

Students will engage with these different facets of teamwork and more through the Team-Based Leadership curriculum, which includes:

• Participating in and completing the Leadership in Action project
• Complete the second portion of your LinkedIn project

Leadership in Action Project

During the Team-Based Leadership tier of Southern Leaders, all students will complete the Leadership in Action project. This project is a chance for Leaders to put their teamwork skills to work in order to do something great for the local community.

Team-Based Leadership students will work in teams of 5-6 to complete this project. The aim of their project should be to work with a community partner to complete a service project that fulfills some sort of need in the local community. Previous projects have included: a supply drive for the Eagle Essentials Pantry and work with the Ronald McDonald House in Savannah.

Learning Objectives

After completing the Team-Based Leadership tier, students will be able to:

• Describe the stages of group development and identify them in a team setting
• Understand their personal themes of talent and those of others and identify the leadership domains to which those themes belong
• ÌÇÐÄVlog their understanding of themes of talent and leadership domains to develop effective teams
• Recognize that to be effective, teams should create inclusive spaces and view diversity as an asset to the team    
• Discuss how they would apply team members’ strengths to create and inspire a shared vision
• Illustrate their practice of leadership through team-based activities

Leadership Competencies

Through Team-Based Leadership, students will develop the following leadership competencies ():

• Group Development
• Listening
• Conflict Negotiation
• Productive Relationships
• Others’ Contributions
• Personal Contributions
• Collaboration

Leadership Certificate

After finishing the curricular and co-curricular requirements for Team-Based Leadership, students will receive a certificate at the end of the year.

Leading Positive Change represents the culmination of Southern Leaders’ learnings throughout the program. In this tier, Leaders explore the complex nature of leading change. They take part in the LEAD 3000: Rethinking Community Leadership course, where they analyze the factors that impact communities and organizations. Through interactive classroom experiences and engaging discussions, LEAD 3000 focuses on leadership and community engagement, allowing Leaders to develop a deeper understanding of their interconnectedness. Afterward, Leaders apply their leadership skills in real-world settings, such as workplaces or leadership positions, through the Leadership Incubator. This practical experience is accompanied by guided reflections, further enhancing their grasp of leadership in action.

Students will engage with these experiences and more through the Leading Positive Change curriculum, which includes:

• Complete a Leadership Incubator Experience
• Complete the third and final portion of the LinkedIn project

Leadership Incubator

Southern Leaders actively practice and develop their leadership skills through the Leadership Incubator. They take part in internships, co-ops, student leadership positions, work experiences, or other approved spaces to exercise their leadership abilities. During these experiences, Southern Leaders engage in guided discussions and receive personalized coaching from the Southern Leaders team. This process enhances their overall leadership development.

Leadership Incubator experiences must be at least a semester long, and the job/leadership role must be held during the semester you are completing your Incubator experience. As mentioned above, Leaders will participate in guided reflections during their Incubator experience; these are completed via Google forms on a monthly basis during the semester. At the end of the semester, Leaders participate in a one-to-one coaching meeting with a member of the Southern Leaders staff to round out their Incubator experience.

Learning Objectives

After completing the Leading Positive Change tier, students will be able to:

• Articulate how context influences the change process
• Demonstrate personal, group, and contextual reflection
• Connect the leadership behavior of ‘Challenge the Process’ to leading change
• Articulate your source(s) of power and how it affects your leadership in communities/organizations
• Develop a personal philosophy for leading positive change in the community
• Implement a team-based project that meets an identified community need
• Connect leadership development to future career aspirations or community involvement
• Reflect on their practice of leadership

Leadership Competencies

Through Leading Positive Change, students will develop the following leadership competencies ():

• Power Dynamics
• Creating Change
• Organizational Behavior
• Social Justice
• Social Responsibility
• Problem Solving
• Systems Thinking

Leadership Certificate

After completing the curricular and co-curricular requirements for Leading Positive Change, students will receive a certificate at the end of the year. Additionally, if students have successfully completed all three tiers of Southern Leaders, they will be awarded the Leadership and Service diploma seal and the prestigious Southern Leaders graduate medallion.