By Grace Dobson

Greensboro College hosted its inaugural leadership development program titled “Emerge Leadership Experience: Think. Act. Lead.” Crystal Martin, founder and CEO of 180 Consulting, was helped and hosted through the Student Success and Engagement office of our college.

Key principles of the programs are think, act and lead. Martin started the discussion of students thinking about the kind of leader they want to be and how their brand impacts others, from learning objectives which identified leadership styles to SMART goals. This fun, interactive program helped students navigate from an idea to its execution, teaching them how to set proper goals and achieve them within a manageable timeframe.

Session One was developing confident and capable leaders.

Session Two discussed building your leadership identity. Leadership is the ability to influence others with a clear vision that can empower people to grow along the way. Personal Branding is the intentional process of shaping how others perceive you by aligning your values and reputation to your goals.

Finally, the last session focused on executing impact: from thought to follow-through.

Leadership is an intentional process that requires one to make a choice. Martin has taught and coached on what leadership truly means, how to work effectively with others and how to turn ideas into execution.

“I hope that each session leaves you inspired, challenged and ready to put your leadership into action,” she said.

How can these skills and knowledge gained from the program be applied by students in real-world situations? What do you want other people to say about you when you are not in the room? A: Nothing bad, meaning no impression was left. B: Hurtful words, indicating a negative interaction. Or C: A positive response that uplifts you as a person when you are not present. The impression you leave applies to many different aspects, whether you are preparing for a job interview, meeting new people or even competing. You want the best of you to be there. The Program emphasized the importance of how you show up.

Ultimately, 21 students completed the Program and received a Certificate of Completion. The goal is to help students discover their unique purposes and make a significant impact.

The Student Success and Engagement office door is always open. If you have any concerns about personal growth, the office is available. There are plans to continue and expand the Emerge Leadership Experience in the future. Will you be there?