“Anyone has the capacity to be a leader,” states Andrew Knight, educator of organizational dynamics at Olin Business School. “It’s not about official rank. Everyone possesses the ability to create a constructive influence — to stimulate and unite individuals.”

Encouraging leadership potential is a WashU focus, which was strengthened in 2024 by alumnus George Bauer and his spouse, Carol Bauer, via a $20 million donation that established the George and Carol Bauer Leaders Academy.

“Everyone possesses the ability to create a constructive influence — to stimulate and unite individuals.”

Andrew Knight

Chancellor Andrew D. Martin remarks that leadership is not solely about occupying roles or holding authority, but about inspiring and motivating others to achieve a shared objective. Moreover, the Bauer Leaders Academy provides students with ways to cultivate these leadership skills both within and beyond the classroom environment.

“We have an ambitious vision to become the nation’s foremost institution for nurturing leaders of integrity and conviction,” says Martin. “Students engaged in Bauer Leaders Academy initiatives will refine their leadership abilities, discover their purpose, and learn how to lead in service of the greater good. Through its programs, curriculum enhancements, training, and research, the academy will accelerate our mission to equip changemakers prepared to enhance society.”

While numerous U.S. colleges and universities feature leadership centers, the Bauer Leaders Academy is the first of its kind to engage every undergraduate scholar. Eventually, the program will broaden its scope beyond undergraduates to include graduate students as well. Opportunities range from personalized leadership coaching to cohort-centric workshops and courses that integrate leadership development into the academic curriculum.

Leadership development ranks among the six priorities outlined in “Here and Next,” WashU’s strategic initiative (read an update on Here and Next’s progress). Knight, the executive director of the Bauer Leaders Academy and a senior advisor to the chancellor for leadership, notes that the academy — bolstered by Provost Beverly Wendland and Anna Gonzalez, vice chancellor for student affairs — is dedicated to offering leadership opportunities throughout a student’s tenure on campus, commencing with Bear Beginnings orientation. Last autumn, all first-year students engaged in a leadership session, where they explored leadership concepts, completed strengths assessments, and crafted their personal purpose statements.

“If you articulated a genuine desire to utilize your academic accomplishments to positively influence your community and society, how would pursuing a career in architecture, for instance, enable you to achieve that?” Knight inquires. “During orientation, we stress that many students shift direction over time, but their overarching purpose statement can serve as the North Star they chase throughout their lives.”

Julia Macias, the director of student leader development at the Bauer Leaders Academy, anticipates growth in programming as students come to see leadership as a feasible skill rather than an innate characteristic. During the fall 2024 Bear Beginnings workshops, many students hesitated to regard themselves as effective leaders. To gauge the effects of its programs on students’ self-perception and efficacy as leaders, the academy regularly conducts surveys.

“The journey commences with purpose,” Macias explains. “For many of these high-achieving students, the aim has been to secure good grades to reach this point. However, purpose transcends academic accomplishments. The students were eager for that dialogue — to contemplate profoundly how their values align with their aspirations.”

Zain Meer is a first-year student in Arts & Sciences. He appreciated how the orientation session highlighted that excellent leaders are not only honest and trustworthy but also effective communicators and relationship builders.

“You could spend four years at college learning about computer science or biology without having to reflect on what it truly means to be a leader,” Meer observes. “Opportunities arise to become a leader of a club or an organization, yet it completely relies on you as an individual to take the initiative. I appreciate that WashU acknowledges leadership is for everyone.”

Knight underscores the fact that leadership is pervasive: “What distinguishes WashU is that our initiatives extend beyond any specific field. This is because we are not only focused on transforming individuals into leaders in their careers or extracurriculars; we are devoted to leadership development as a crucial aspect of a fulfilling life. These skills and principles seep into every dimension of life, regardless of whether you are launching a new venture or striving toward a community development goal.”

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