Best learning really does happen outside the classroom! ILead’s latest installment proves successful for the development of pertinent skills sought out by top industry professionals and professors. ILead’s Leadership Labs are 90-minute drop-in, low commitment workshops with large reward. Only requirements are your attendance and participation.
Lab topics are centered on Project Management, Feedback, Team Conflict, Facilitation, and Public Speaking – recurring themes in both a class and work-based setting. Each respective topic is defined by a specific subsection of skills. The Leadership Labs are set to explore the importance of each skill while helping you identify your personal strengths and areas of improvement. Observe as you and your peers gradually expand the limits of your comfort zone by activity-based learning. The highly structured programs have an introspective and reflective quality, all while providing a conducive atmosphere to develop invaluable interpersonal and team building skills.
Enthusiastic student and ILead facilitators provide a safe space to hone your abilities by receiving immediate personal feedback. Take for instance, the Public Speaking lab. Here the focus is to make participants cognizant of their enthusiasm, volume, and body language while addressing a group of people. The facilitators break down the topic, taking the group on a step-by-step approach on how to approach public speaking. The final activity is an opportunity to incorporate concepts learned in a short presentation and then receive constructive criticism from peers and facilitators promptly. These labs offer interpersonal resources to improve your performance and their practicality to school and industry cannot be overstated.
“Public speaking can be very stressful and the ILead team had a lot of useful tips,” said Hannah Bendig (MSE 1T8), “For me specifically, the lab taught how to be more aware of my body language while presenting and being able to actually practice was great. I will definitely attend another ILead lab!”
So what are you waiting for? Experiment with your abilities alongside peers and charismatic facilitators. Find out how you can invest in yourself by attending the next Leadership Lab!
-Michael Sabatini