Communication in Leadership: Student Leadership Workshop
Written by Breana Noble
Every semester, student campus leaders gather for a week to learn about leadership and find a way to answer the question: “How can we make Hillsdale the best college?” The groups involved develop ideas throughout the week about how to improve campus and present those ideas on Thursday.
This year, one group had to start from scratch on Monday after learning that their original ideas were already in the works by administration. What they came up with was a way to better integrate the College with the surrounding community. The project was Dale Deals.
“The idea behind the Dale Deal card is to provide a stronger incentive for students and faculty to go downtown and support the local businesses,” said Whitley head RA Priscilla Larson, ’17. “The card would offer a percentage off at a local business, so it would ideally encourage holders of the card to become more frequent customers.”
Despite the shorter timeline, Larson’s group figured things out through good communication and breaking up the tasks needed to put together their presentation.
“We were intentional about delegating jobs and roles,” Larson said. “This allowed for us to work separately at times so that we could accomplish more tasks during a short time frame.” A couple of students contacted local businesses to ask if they would be interested in the promotion. One student designed the Dale Deals cards. Others printed and laminated them. Team members put together the presentation.
Throughout the Student Leadership Workshop week, Greek house presidents, head RAs, athletes, and campus leaders are tasked with several challenges and problems that require good communication. From constructing makeshift rafts from only logs, duct tape, string, and plastic bags to presenting ideas on how to improve campus life, students grow to appreciate the importance of effective communication in a leader.
“Before the workshop, I figured that communication was important mainly because it’s how stuff gets done,” said Katie Scheu, ’18, head RA of Mauck Hall. “At the workshop, I learned that communication is important in leadership because it is both the foundation of a team and the means by which a team functions.”
Professor of Rhetoric and Public Address Kristen Kiledal leads the instruction of the weeklong course, talking about the changing view of leadership and the importance of communication with that.
“Leaders have to lead actively,” Dr. Kiledal said. “One of the greatest powers a leader has is the voice—to be able to reach out to whoever his or her constituents or coworkers or followers are.”
In the class, Dr. Kiledal explains that leadership is not a strict hierarchy of power. Instead, it is transformational, seeking to use the strengths of all on a team to create the best outcome. But in order to do that, everyone has to have a similar understanding of the goal.
“If a leader can’t reach people directly or communicate ideas as well as an action plan with a mission, a vision, and principles, he or she will never become a true leader,” Dr. Kiledal said.
Chi Omega sorority president Anna Goodwin, ’17, agrees. The workshop allowed her to reflect on this idea and gear her mind toward how to be a successful leader.
“I communicate to my advisory board, other campus leaders, administrators, my chapter, and my individual sisters,” Goodwin said. “All of my duties involve some sort of communication. The most important thing to remember is the fluidity of communication. What is right for one form is not right for another. You must tailor everything to your audience.”
Anna pointed to weekly chapter meetings as an example, because the president sets the tone for the discussion as well as for the upcoming week.
“Positivity is essential, because only with optimism can one hope to grow,” Goodwin said.
Dorm leadership is similar. Scheu said that in Mauck, communication among fellow resident assistants and others on campus is essential to bonding as a team and solving problems.
“In a dorm environment, being a leader means addressing issues on the fly,” Scheu said. “You never know what type of problems you’ll have to take care of through the year, because different residents always bring a new set of unexpected joys and challenges. There have been times where keeping a line of communication open between the deans, a resident, and a couple RAs has made a world of difference for that resident in terms of her success.”
Ultimately, communication is the only way for leaders to resolve problems and make the progress needed to reach goals, Larson said.
“In general, we all want to work together and get along with each other even if we don’t absolutely agree on everything,” Larson said. “When we can communicate effectively with one another, we build human sympathies. When we are open to understanding other people, we can better listen to their needs and figure out ways to help align our own goals with theirs.”
Breana Noble, ’18, is a student from Michigan studying American studies and journalism. She is a member of the Dow Journalism Program; is an assistant news editor for Hillsdale’s school newspaper, the Collegian, and has interned at Newsmax Media in Washington, D.C. through the National Journalism Center.