The Cougs Lead Program on the Washington State University Pullman campus teaches students that leaders are not always what we expect: charismatic, command attention, speak confidently, and have throngs of followers. Rather, leadership takes on many different forms and most students are leaders without even realizing it.
Cougs Lead is run by the Center for Student Organizations and Leadership (CSOL) in Student Affairs. This semester 50 first- and second-year students are immersing themselves in special workshops designed to teach them how to host events on campus, communicate effectively, navigate group dynamics, solve problems, and lead with integrity.
“There are a lot of statistics that show students who are engaged on campus tend to earn better grades, develop stronger social networks, and have better graduation rates,” said Haley Yamane, leadership and organization coordinator who manages the program. “The leadership skills they learn build confidence that they will benefit from throughout college and in their careers.”
Opportunities to learn and practice
The program’s curriculum is intentionally designed to apply to students from all majors and levels of leadership experience. Each week students participate in engaging presentations facilitated by WSU faculty and staff. For most of the presenters, it is an opportunity to work with students outside of their own areas.
Trymaine Gaither, special assistant to the Provost for Inclusive Excellence, said faculty and staff play a vital role in guiding students beyond the classroom, and Cougs Lead is an example of how this is done. He teaches students how emotional intelligence (EI) is central to effective leadership and involves self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
“These skills are essential for leaders to understand themselves and others,” Gaither said. “They also help leaders handle complex relationships, which leads to better overall outcomes, not just in the classroom but in life.”
In Jessica Perone’s Social Learning and Leadership workshop, she asks students to share a real-world problem and work with their peers to solve it.
“It’s one thing to learn about leadership in a class and talk about it with their peers, but actually implementing it in a new environment where people have diverse perspectives, that’s when they will want their leadership toolbox handy,” Perone said. “Leadership is something that needs to be practiced and it’s important that we provide students opportunities to experiment with what we teach them.”
Joe Hewa directs the Center for Transformational Learning & Leadership (CTLL) and is eager to meet students in the Cougs Lead program. He first encountered leadership training as an undergraduate student, and it transformed his life.
“These opportunities to grow and develop essential personal and professional skills are part of what make the college experience so powerful,” Hewa said.
Hewa and his team offer a leadership minor available to all WSU students, and he believes that students benefit greatly when they combine academic engagement with leadership hands-on experience and training through programs like Cougs Lead.
Students who complete the semester-long Cougs Lead program are invited to continue their learning in a more advanced CSOL program called Leadership WSU, where they can network and engage with local community leaders, business owners, and government officials.
WSU to host leadership conference
A highlight for students participating in Cougs Lead and Leadership WSU will be attending the Pacific Northwest Student Leadership Conference on Oct. 5 in the SPARK building on the Pullman campus. The conference, organized by CSOL, will showcase impactful leadership styles and engage students in exercises to help them determine which style they most closely resonate with. Nationally acclaimed author, speaker, and consultant Joshua Fredenburg will give the keynote address. The conference is open to all WSU students and is free for those at the WSU Pullman and Global campuses.
“Between the conference and the workshops, we are showing students that they are leaders, and it is something they can say with confidence,” Yamane said. “Leadership looks different in different people, but they will know what strengths are associated with their leadership style and how to apply them to be successful in college and beyond.”
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