The Larsen Group

Circles of Change:  Conversations with Dr. Zara Larsen

 on Change Leadership and Career Fulfillment

October 19, 2008

“LeaderShape: A Healthy Disregard of the Impossible”

Anchoring Points:

1. LeaderShape is a non-profit collegiate education and training organization that through its dynamic, six day seminars has brought to life the precepts of leading with integrity to over 20,000 young adults since 1986.

2. Run by specially trained volunteer lead facilitators and volunteer adjunct faculty, eight open enrollment summer sessions are hosted at a conference center associated with the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois.  To open and maintain access, student leaders are often sponsored on scholarship by their clubs, fraternities, sororities, and technical societies.

3. Several years ago the idea of “talking the knowledge to the students” during the school year expanded LeaderShape’s footprint to now include over 75 sessions at 64 college campuses in the US, Canada and Africa – a healthy disregard of the impossible.

4. The ethics-based curriculum continues to evolve under the tight scrutiny of LeaderShape’s lean staff.  It is a state-of-the-art leadership development experience, with personal visioning to ropes and team courses, to simulations coupled with thoughtful guided reflections. 

5. Guest leader panels of experienced professionals inspire the participants, although many leaders feel they come away being more inspired by the energy and commitment of today’s youth.  Very high touch vs. high tech.

6. Through the use of the internet, LeaderShape keeps its alumni wired, many of whom mention their experience as a “defining moment” in their college experience.  Attendance is often spotlighted on college resumes, along with honor societies and on-campus leadership accomplishments.