Leadership Lehigh

What Is Leadership Lehigh?

Why should I get involved with Leadership Lehigh?

Leadership development will be an integral part of your Lehigh experience, and the skills you obtain will be one of the most important and marketable sets of skills you will have when you leave Lehigh and enter the workforce. Additionally, companies, industries, non-profit agencies, and educational institutions have recently made it clear that leadership, communication, and other personal skills are among the most important qualities they look for in new employees. Put yourself at the top of their list by participating in Leadership Lehigh!

Getting Involved with Leadership Lehigh

The earlier you get involved with Leadership Lehigh the more you can learn land gain from the program; this also gives you more time to apply what you have learned to other involvements, coursework and internships, etc.  To complete Leadership Lehigh a student needs to have three consecutive years remaining at Lehigh, and ideally most students will apply for and be in the program during the fall semester of the first or second year at Lehigh.

If a student is considering studying abroad or participating in a traditional fall/spring semester co-op experience please read "important note" to find out how Leadership Lehigh is designed to work with these experiences so a student can fully participate in both!

Involvement in Leadership Lehigh means being Fully Committed

The cohort, or phase, nature of Leadership Lehigh requires a dedication to participation and scheduling on the part of the student.  The nature in which students spend their time will change throughout the phases depending largely on the project that is being completed and the group dynamics of the various teams.

In general, the time commitment for the program is rather standard at 20-25 hours per semester for all phases of Leadership Lehigh.  The attendance policy is taken seriously by the staff in order to ensure that all participants are getting the developmental benefit of the program and can be seen as reliable and valued contributors to the group learning process.  Each student is allowed a total of 2 excused absences each semester, for acceptable academic, varsity athletic obligations and extenuating personal circumstances, rare exceptions are made to this policy.

Leadership Lehigh Activities

The learning in Leadership Lehigh is designed to meet the needs of diverse learners and to engage all students in experiential and hands on activities.  These activities are not another lecture at the end of the day, but truly a way to help students explore the topics and skills that make up leadership.  It is also an amazing way to interact with peers who have the same interest of advancing themselves as leaders for the future, but students might not know from classes or other involvements!

Click on the below activities to learn more about them!

• Fall Retreats
• Concept Workshops
• Group Projects
• Reflection Teams
• Speakers of Interest
• Spring Recognition Celebration

The Benefits of Committing to Leadership Lehigh

Enhanced Professional Marketability

Many companies, industries, non-profit agencies, and educational institutions have made it clear that the skills that they most often seek out in new employees are not necessarily discipline or job specific, they are leadership skills.  Understanding oneself and the interconnectedness between individuals, groups, the surrounding communities, and the global world are some of the most critical core competencies needed by students leaving Lehigh.

• The Leadership Lehigh program provides students a safe and non-threatening opportunity to enhance their self-awareness, build and practice leadership skills, and gain valuable experience working in diverse teams to execute shared goals.
• Participating in Leadership Lehigh will elevate any Lehigh student to the top of the candidate list by giving them tangible, real world experiences that demonstrate how they are able to interact successfully with others in any setting.

The Opportunity to Personally Grow and Contribute to Others

Teamwork and the ability to execute an individual role productively and effectively in a team atmosphere is a powerful skill set and what truly sets mature college students apart from their peers.

• Leadership Lehigh presents students with multiple ways to practice, evaluate and improve how they collaborate toward a common purpose in a way that empowers individuals and multiplies the group's overall effectiveness to reach a vision that may not be accomplished by one individual alone.
• By dedicating time to Leadership Lehigh, students will be able to connect closely with peers and upper class student mentors centered on the execution of meaningful projects that directly serve the local community and that enhance the education and growth of the Lehigh student community.

Relationships that Span Colleges, Organizations and Living Environments

Even in relatively small environments it can often be challenging to connect beyond those that are seen every day in classes or living areas.  Leadership Lehigh draws students from all three undergraduate colleges, and actively recruits students from all backgrounds.  The presence of diversity, in all forms, is foundational to the development of leadership that aims to make the world and society a better place for others.

• Students in the program will have the opportunity to work in three different project teams, that both stay within their phase cohort and that span into other phase cohorts.  Additionally, each year students have different small teams that serve as home base groups to guide meaning making and reflection.
• Leadership Lehigh aims to cultivate students who will choose to engage in understanding, connecting, and advocating for others.  Along with that it provides a safe space for genuine dialog where students seek to gain understanding of various perspectives with the motivation to then lead their peers in understanding as well.