Starting in the 2014 spring semester, Trinity will offer a new course on leadership and self-awareness.
Covering themes from individual brand power to the definition of “service,” the course aims to challenge students’ beliefs and inspire them to reach their full potential.
The course will end with a resume and interview workshop that will take the leadership skills learned and apply them to things like internships and post-graduate employment.
The course will be taught by Bill Poston and Reagan Pugh. Poston is the current managing partner of the consulting firm Kalypso, an author on corporate innovation transformation and the founder and president of the non-profit Stelos Alliance.
Pugh is the raconteur at Kalypso and works with marketing and development at the Stelos Alliance. Pugh also taught tenth grade English with Teach for America for two years and has years of experience speaking to student groups about leadership, branding and individual ownership.
The inspiration for this leadership program came from the late Kevin Housley, a successful businessman, leader and friend to Poston and Pugh. The Housley Leadership Program, made available by the Stelos Alliance in his honor, initially started at Texas State University and eventually grew to the point where it could move onto other campuses.
“The overarching theme of the course is individual ownership and understanding that we all have a debt we owe. That true leaders are the ones who realize every day, in order to fulfill their potential and change the world, they’re going to have to choose to be extraordinary,” Pugh said.
After joining the Stelos Alliance, Pugh was driven to inspire students to become leaders themselves.
“I went around asking parents and professors, “˜If we were to build something for student leaders, what do you think they will need the most?’ and they all said [students] need to figure out who they are,” Pugh said.
At Texas State University, the program is recognized for its ability to open students’ eyes to new possibilities in life, making it known as the class where dreams are crushed.
“A lot of students come in believing this one path is the right path and have these great plans, and they’ll say, “˜Wow, now I see it from a completely different perspective,'” Pugh said.
Students in the class are encouraged to take these new perspectives and use them to grow as leaders.
“What I hope students get out of the class is that they leave and think “˜I never took ownership over my own thoughts the way I did in this course, and I never realized exactly who I am and who I want to be,'” Pugh said.
After working mainly with Texas State University students, the program leaders are excited to expand the leadership program and work with Trinity students next semester.
“I can’t wait to be on a smaller campus where a conversation we have in class can permeate the entire student population and to deal with some high-caliber students very focused on their futures. I believe if we get all those minds in the same room together, we can make great things happen,” Pugh said.
The course will be titled HCOM-3364-2 Communication and Effective Leadership, and it is expected to be a part of the Arts, Letters and Enterprise minor and satisfy some business credits. For more information, contact Reagan Pugh at 214-616-9134 or [email protected].
