Butler courses strive to build leaders
Heath Stapleford
Issue date: 9/11/06 Section: News
The word "leadership" brings many ideas to mind. A leader is just not a person with power over individuals or groups. Many people say that leaders are born, not made, but through Butler's leadership studies program, there might be a loophole.
The Leadership Studies program constitutes many different varieties of leadership theories. In four classes the student learns how to develop his own ideas and lead people to create their own. The key to this program is not teaching students to overpower individuals; it is giving them the key to empowering individuals.
"60% of leaders, mostly c.e.o's, spend the majority of their time listening,"Dr. Michael Osterbuhr, Director of Academic Achievement Programs and Services.
The program focuses on basic communication, both verbal and non-verbal, group dynamics and delegation skills. Almost everyone spends most of their day using all of these skills. Whether it be, telling your little sister to do the laundry, or deciding which employee to make assistant manager, all of these skills are equally important.
A leader has to know how to communicate his/her ideas, listen to other ideas within a group and then delegate who needs more leadership, and vice versa.
"Within delegation, people can be good at one skill, while they might not be good at another skill," Osterbuhr said.
Leadership cannot happen with out teamwork. A leader is thoroughly useless without people to lead. The Leadership program has found a valuable asset to developing leadership skills, right here on campus. Grizzly Adventures has several physical courses that require teamwork and motivation.
Grizzly Adventures is "a physical, 3-D, way of showing someone teamwork," Osterbuhr said.
A leader could recognize that community involvement is essential to being a great leader. Students in the program will have opportunities to shadow city councils, committee members and numerous other positions within the community. The program also has a VISTA, or Volunteers In Service to America, volunteer that is working to get students involved in whatever aspect of the community they choose.
The biggest questions many students will have about this program is: Do the credits transfer and how many can I earn?
A student can earn 12 credits from the Leadership program. Most state schools will accept the leadership classes as communication credits.
For example; Fort Hays and Friends University will accept all of the credits.
The program is great for current leaders, potential leaders or anyone that wants to be a leader. You can earn college credit and you learn skills that will last a lifetime.
The Leadership Studies program constitutes many different varieties of leadership theories. In four classes the student learns how to develop his own ideas and lead people to create their own. The key to this program is not teaching students to overpower individuals; it is giving them the key to empowering individuals.
"60% of leaders, mostly c.e.o's, spend the majority of their time listening,"Dr. Michael Osterbuhr, Director of Academic Achievement Programs and Services.
The program focuses on basic communication, both verbal and non-verbal, group dynamics and delegation skills. Almost everyone spends most of their day using all of these skills. Whether it be, telling your little sister to do the laundry, or deciding which employee to make assistant manager, all of these skills are equally important.
A leader has to know how to communicate his/her ideas, listen to other ideas within a group and then delegate who needs more leadership, and vice versa.
"Within delegation, people can be good at one skill, while they might not be good at another skill," Osterbuhr said.
Leadership cannot happen with out teamwork. A leader is thoroughly useless without people to lead. The Leadership program has found a valuable asset to developing leadership skills, right here on campus. Grizzly Adventures has several physical courses that require teamwork and motivation.
Grizzly Adventures is "a physical, 3-D, way of showing someone teamwork," Osterbuhr said.
A leader could recognize that community involvement is essential to being a great leader. Students in the program will have opportunities to shadow city councils, committee members and numerous other positions within the community. The program also has a VISTA, or Volunteers In Service to America, volunteer that is working to get students involved in whatever aspect of the community they choose.
The biggest questions many students will have about this program is: Do the credits transfer and how many can I earn?
A student can earn 12 credits from the Leadership program. Most state schools will accept the leadership classes as communication credits.
For example; Fort Hays and Friends University will accept all of the credits.
The program is great for current leaders, potential leaders or anyone that wants to be a leader. You can earn college credit and you learn skills that will last a lifetime.
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