While her diploma may state political science, graduating senior Amelia Letson claimed she has also obtained a degree in leadership from WashU.

“I came here with a hierarchical perspective on leadership, but I’ve discovered that being a leader isn’t synonymous with being in charge,” Letson remarked, who was a Civic Scholar through the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, St. Louis Fellow, and co-chair of WashU Votes. “Leadership can be as straightforward as listening or inquiring how you can assist someone. This has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my WashU journey — exploring new methods of being a leader.”

The graduating students of the Class of 2025 Class Acts asserted that the lessons on leadership they gained through their studies, extracurricular activities, and pre-professional experiences have equipped them to excel as scientists, policymakers, artists, and community participants.

Chancellor Andrew D. Martin has highlighted leadership as a key focus of “Here & Next,” the strategic initiative of Washington University in St. Louis, aiming to position WashU as the nation’s leading institution for cultivating leaders of integrity and conviction.

“At WashU, we’ve always maintained that leadership is not an innate trait,” Martin expressed in a communication to the community. “Instead, we hold that it is a skill that can be nurtured. Our mission is for every individual who studies or works here, regardless of their academic discipline or professional capacity, to enhance their leadership skills.”

In pursuit of this goal, WashU has significantly broadened its leadership education and opportunities available to students. The newly founded George and Carol Bauer Leaders Academy is offering tailored programs for individuals and groups that include Bear Beginnings orientation sessions, personalized coaching, off-campus experiential learning, and cohort activities.

At a recent cohort gathering for international students and Taylor Scholars, Andrew Knight, executive director of the Bauer Leaders Academy and senior advisor to the chancellor for leadership, instructed students to form teams and imagine they were stranded in a desert. The teams then evaluated the importance of various items, such as water, a map, a parachute, a mirror, salt tablets, a gun, a compass, sunglasses, and a top coat. The exercise emphasized lessons in leadership rather than merely in survival.

“Frequently, when entering a new group, we believe we have the best answer, and we are simply trying to persuade others that our perspective is correct,” Knight explained to the participants. “What a leader can proficiently do is redirect thought to focus on the problem itself, reach a shared purpose and a unified set of objectives, and gather insights from everyone in the group, ensuring that all information is considered.”

More faculty members are now integrating leadership training into their courses. In the seminar “1984: One Strange Year,” Peter Kastor, the Samuel K. Eddy Endowed Professor of history in Arts & Sciences, explores leadership and collaboration, alongside discussions on Ronald Reagan and “Purple Rain.” This class is part of Arts & Sciences’ Literacies for Life and Career, an initiative designed to help students acquire essential skills for life and careers alongside their academic studies.

Kastor’s years observing undergraduates and studying the Founding Fathers have imparted a fundamental realization: Leadership is challenging.

“Our institution is named after George Washington,” Kastor stated. “However, even Washington faced challenges as a leader. Our undergraduates are no different. Thus, we deeply examined what effective leadership entails. Washington grappled with how to lead without being oppressive, while my students pondered how to assert themselves as leaders without being unpleasant. How do you collaborate with someone you disagree with? How do you confidently voice your opinion in a discussion? These ideas aren’t always covered in a college curriculum, yet they are vital in the workplace and society.”

The article The Class of 2025: Prepared to Lead was originally published on The Source.