Philosophy of Leadership

At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, we believe that all students can exercise leadership. Leadership does not require formal authority or position and can be practiced by anyone interested in making a contribution and influencing a more positive future.

Leadership is a process of mutual influence directed at achieving purposeful results. The development of leadership begins with personal initiative and awareness — understanding one's passions, motivations, strengths, limits, and personal values.

The process of self-discovery is ongoing, and the pursuit of leadership requires perseverance and a commitment to perpetual learning.

Building trusting relationships is essential for the work of leadership. Leadership never happens alone. By incorporating the diverse skills and viewpoints of others, individuals are empowered and group energy is mobilized to pursue collective goals. The practice of leadership is ethical in nature and includes a responsibility for the rights and welfare of those inside and outside of the group.

Our Guiding Philosophy

James McGregor Burns, considered by many to be the father of modern leadership practices, once famously stated that "Leadership is the most observed, yet least understood, phenomena on earth."A generation later, we find this still rings true today. Our work at the Illinois Leadership Center is to study and teach the skills for effective leadership relevant to 21st Century professional and community realities.

At Illinois, our work is guided by a few overarching principles. We believe leaders need to ask, "Why?" just as often as they ask, "What?" and "How?". Leadership, at its essence, is about working with others to create positive change, and therefore must be based in a fundamentally service-focused and ethical foundation of values. It is about practicing global citizenship. Even before the Leadership Center was constructed, a committee of faculty, staff, students, and alumni collaborated to create our "Philosophy of Leadership" to reflect these principles.

In addition, we believe that leadership can be taught. While some may have more inherent skill at the practice of leadership than others, we believe everyone can enhance and refine their abilities to lead others. Therefore, we have created a set of "Skills and Attributes" that we believe all effective leaders should possess. All of our programs and initiatives are designed to help students learn about and develop in these areas.

Our primary teaching strategy is simple. We believe students learn best when they have the opportunity to educate themselves, apply and practice what they've learned, and reflect on their experiences to create deeper personal meaning. The curriculum of our programs are designed around this fundamental belief, and therefore include cutting-edge leadership theory combined with engaging activity and discussion, along with opportunities to reflect individually and in small groups.

We firmly believe this cascading structure, where we align our values and priorities with the curriculum we teach, can be transformational for Illinois students.

 


© 2011 University of Illinois Board of Trustees