LEADERSHIP MINOR CAPSTONE
Course Description
The leadership capstone is a course that offers the opportunity for reflection on our leadership styles as well as a more critical evaluation of existing leadership theory. This occurs between both a specific focus on a “wicked problem” as well as an in-depth leadership shadowing experience. Both of these experiences allow us to better explore leadership in practical and grand settings as well as witness leadership successes and shortcomings first hand.
Course Reflection
I found this course to be a practice in both challenging the powers that be as well as challenging my own understanding and values. As a young leader, I have more often than not found myself indulging in leadership hypotheticals. What type of organizational structure works best in which settings? What type of people should I put on my leadership bus? Is servant leadership always good? Is trait leadership theory always bad? How can strong followership add to an organization? While there was certainly a fair share of leadership theory and lofty conversations, this course was also filled with much more concrete, and frankly uncomfortable questions of leadership.
During the course, I worked with a group of classmates to learn about, dissect and analyze the wicked problem that is mass incarceration within the U.S. and then pass on our learning to the rest of our class. Truth be told, this was one of the more trying experiences. As we learned in this class, we created a brave space, not just a safe space. This differentiation became apparent when, as a white woman on a largely white campus in a very white city, I found myself face to face with my own deep seated biases that I didn’t even know where there. I found it nearly impossible to adequately address the role of racism in the U.S. mass incarceration system, and I honestly felt a little bit like an imposter of a leader, teaching something that I only knew about on the surface. But I think this in its own right is a valuable teaching in leadership. Sometimes, as leaders, it’s not our place to propose solutions. Sometimes it’s just our place to support.