Leadership Skills/Teamwork
Fall 2008
All The Things That Happen At Tech That Nobody Has Heard Of
University Unions & Student Activities welcomes you to the center of Hokie community! Through UUSA, you can get involved with student activities, clubs and organizations, your student unions, leadership development, leisure and recreation, and student employment. UUSA, a unit within the Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech, complements the academic program by providing a variety of activities, educational opportunities, programs, facilities, and services that enhance student development and enrich the quality of campus life at Virginia Tech. UUSA is your entry into becoming an active, involved Hokie.
Scott Reed and Sandy Broughton, University Unions & Student Activities, (540) 231-5431, sreed@vt.edu, and (540) 231-3467, siemens@vt.edu,
An Ethical Perspective
This presentation centers around a discussion on leadership and ethics, offering some eclectic insights on responsible leadership, including moral perspectives from classical philosophers as well as perspectives from business, government, and military leaders. The presentation includes case studies on decision making tailored to the audience. This is an interactive session and is designed to stimulate students on multiple aspects of leader development, and the preparation for, and expectations of, prospective employers.
Captain Jim Snyder, Military Affairs, (540) 231-8595, jasnyde1@vt.edu
“Houston, We Have a Problem!”
Everyday we are faced with multiple decisions, from deciding what to major in to choosing what to eat for dinner. This interactive activity and the subsequent discussion allow students to examine their assumptions and decision-making style as they work through crash landing on the moon.
Allison Dunn, University Unions and Student Activities, (540) 231-8667, adunn@vt.edu
Incorporating Group Projects into your Class
Group projects have the potential to help students develop interpersonal and group leadership competencies, as well as help them become more aware of their own strengths, styles and limitations. However, poorly executed group projects can result in students who have negative attitudes regarding group work. To help increase the potential for a rich learning experience, faculty from the Leadership Development Office are available to help you consider how to incorporate a group project into your class; help your students develop a project management framework, and offer leadership, project management, and team-building resources and learning activities.
Tim Filbert or Allison Dunn, University Unions and Student Activities, (540) 231-5725, tfilbert@vt.edu or adunn@vt.edu
Lights, Camera, Action … Presentation Skills that make you a Star!
Public presentations require basic communication skills, which isn’t rocket science. So why is it so hard to speak in front of a crowd of people … and do well? This session will provide basic principles, methods, and strategies that will save time and embarrassment in your speaking skills. Key points include analyzing audience needs, organizing your material, using audio-visuals, and handling tough questions to name a few. You’ll take center stage with confidence following this workshop.
Greg Beecher, University Unions and Student Activities, (540)-231-5431, gbeecher@vt.edu
Leadership for the 21st Century—How to Prepare Now
Anyone can be a leader regardless of title or position. This presentation is grounded in the research of the Center for Creative Leadership and helps students understand some of the things they can be doing while they are still in college to enhance their leadership potential once they graduate.
Allison Dunn, University Unions and Student Activities, (540) 231-8667, adunn@vt.edu
Organizational Survivor
Adopting a survival strategy in an organization is crucial to succeeding in the organization. Do you have to outwit the organizational management? Do you have to outplay your peers or subordinates? Do you have to outlast the communication flow? Organizational survival is dependent on your outlook and strategy for becoming a survivor. In this session, we’ll practice and discuss organizational management and communication using an experiential organizational challenge that demonstrates how communication is the answer to survival.
Greg Beecher, University Unions and Student Activities, (540)-231-5431, gbeecher@vt.edu
Professional Competence and Integrity
Colonel Roszak lectures on the importance of setting, maintaining, and enforcing standards of professional conduct as they apply to maintaining personal integrity. This presentation stresses the importance of setting and enforcing standards in the college environment as the student is maturing into an adult, and gives a real-world instance of two Air Force accidents caused by a failure to maintain standards and a lack of professional competence. The lecture can be tailored to relate the examples to whatever discipline or direction the course professor needs to emphasize.
Col. Rock Roszak, Military Affairs, (540) 231-9369, vtcc71@vt.edu
Team Building
This interactive, participatory session is designed to teach the principles of teamwork. In both a fun and educational way, this workshop promotes discussion of the dynamics and advantages of team building.
Evelyn A. Wallington, Student Programs’ Residence Life, (540) 231-6205, ewalling@vt.edu
The Ethics Challenge
Created by Lockhead Martin, the Ethics Challenge is a fun and interactive game using the Dilbert Comic Strip and Dilbert Characters to set the stage for conversations on trust and communication within an organization. All teams are given a scenario and then asked to choose three of the building blocks that could be used to correct what has gone wrong. The building blocks are: Be Candid; Be Inclusive; Avoid Blaming; Listen Intently; Seek to Clarify; Remain Accessible; Be Direct; Act with Integrity; Be Accountable; Keep Promises; Share Praise; and Value Diversity.
Julie Walters-Steele, University Unions and Student Activities, (540)-231-5431, jws@vt.edu
Virginia Tech Trivia: What Makes Us Special
Learn some important facts about Virginia Tech in a fun way. Through interactive exercises, participants will learn about our mission, our students, and our history.
Tom Brown, Dean of Students Office, (540) 231-3787, tbrown@vt.edu
Women in Leadership: Does Gender Matter?
Should gender affect the way we perceive our leaders? Do people have different expectations of male and female leaders? How do gendered roles impact leadership styles? This interactive presentation will examine and discuss these questions regarding the relationship between gender and leadership.
Kathy Lokale, The Women’s Center @ Virginia Tech (540) 231-7806, klokale@vt.edu.
Working with the Iraqi Army: My Experiences as a Military Advisor to the Commander of the 1st Armored Brigade, 9th Iraqi Division
After having been retired from the US Army for over 4 years and while on the faculty at Virginia Tech, I was recalled to Active Duty in November 2005 for deployment to Iraq as a military advisor to the commanding general of an Iraqi armored brigade just north of Baghdad. As the senior advisor for the brigade, I commanded 52 American advisors working with 2,000 Iraqi soldiers who defended critical infrastructure nodes for the Iraqi capital and patrolled a dangerous sector in the notorious Sunni Triangle. My presentation will focus on the nuances of Iraqi culture, my impressions of the Iraqi Army, and my observations of the war from the perspective of working with Iraqi officers and soldiers who had served under Saddam Hussein, served in the Iran-Iraq war, and fought against American forces in 1991 and 2003.
LTC Chuck Payne, Military Affairs, (540) 231-3488, chayne1@vt.edu