Leadership Development Initiative

Leading in a time of crisis. Influencing people to succeed in achieving a common goal. Knowing how to tap into the strengths of others. Today’s leaders are facing a range of new leadership challenges.

At Stern, we are preparing students to meet these challenges with our Leadership Development Initiative and its three pillars:

• Leadership Foundation lays the groundwork for effective leadership through specialized workshops and classes
• Leadership Personalized uses individual assessments and coaching to help students create a customized action plan
• Leadership in Action gives students the opportunity to hone their skills through hands-on leadership experiences

The Stern Leadership Development Initiative helps students understand their leadership abilities, practice core leadership competencies through targeted workshops and activities, and apply what they’ve learned to real leadership experiences such as internships, the Stern Consulting Corps, and club leadership positions.

Incoming Stern students opt into the Leadership Development Initiative and begin work before they arrive on campus, gathering developmental feedback from previous supervisors, colleagues, customers and direct reports through a tailored 360 assessment tool. This process arms participants with important information about their strengths and areas for growth from day one.

Based on feedback from the 360 assessment, and with the support of one-on-one coaching, participants create an Individual Development Plan that serves as a road map for the rest of their Stern experience and beyond. The Individual Development Plan helps students make meaningful choices about how to prioritize and make the most of the different leadership opportunities at Stern.

All Leadership Development Initiative participants also take part in:

• Targeted workshops on core leadership competencies that provide students with the tools they need to develop the skills essential for extraordinary leadership
• Leadership Speaker Series, featuring CEOs from a range of industries who candidly share their own leadership challenges and successes
• High fidelity leadership simulations designed to accelerate learning
• Peer leadership groups that offer an opportunity for students to reflect on their own leadership development while learning from each other