Program Description
LEAD!... a choice... a program... a movement... a responsibility... a command... and what the world needs you to do.
Today's rapid pace of change has significantly increased the demand for educated, forward-thinking and adaptable leaders. A perceptible degradation of morals and ethics has added a critical need for ethical, honorable, and trustworthy leadership... character-based leadership... leaders with integrity. These kinds of leaders are called "Leaders of Character."
LEAD's purpose is to promote and facilitate the development of ethical, honorable, and trustworthy Leaders of Character.
LSUS's leadership program is as unique as university leadership programs go, in that character development is promoted equally with leadership development. The art of "leadership" is such a soft science or skill, and it is so obscure, difficult to define, and immeasurable, that higher education has struggled with determining where it belongs in the traditional university hierarchy. "Character" is more ambiguous than leadership so traditional higher education is a long way from knowing what to do with it. LEAD is bringing both leadership and character development to the academic forefront.
Another unique aspect of LEAD is it is an organized stand-alone inter-institutional academic program, not a sub-program under another college, school, or functional area within the university. Most universities have some type of leadership program; however, the program is co-mingled or confused with management, psychology, student activities or student government. LEAD differentiates leadership from all of the other things it is confused with and we treat the elements of leadership and character development as critically important academic educational topics that can greatly benefit all of our graduates... and our world.
Still another unique aspect of the program, is the easy entrance into the program and progression through the program. LEAD was built on the idea that leadership and character development should be open and easily available to everyone. It is a very student (customer) friendly program. Any student can enter the program at any point or class and progress through the program to completion in any class order.
What's the exclamation mark on the end of LEAD!? LEAD is not just the title of a leadership and character development program, it's also a command for members to step up and lead. It's also what society needs us to do. And, it's also a self-reminder that it depends upon each of us- we cannot wait on someone else to do it, we have to want to take the LEAD!
