The LeaderShape® Institute at Michigan Tech
The LeaderShape® Institute has continued to evolve and has been training leaders from our campus since 1996. To date, over 1,300 Huskies have participated in the program. The Institute takes place between the fall and spring semesters at the Ford Center in Alberta, MI.
This year, the program will run from Saturday, December 13th-Tuesday, December 16th. Transportation to and from the Institute, meals, and lodging are provided. Participants must be available and are expected to stay for the entire length of the Institute. There is a minimal cost of $100 for participants to attend the Institute, however, that cost is often sponsored by campus departments and organizations.
Applications for the 2025 LeaderShape Institute® will open in September. We are seeking applicants who are curious, motivated, and ready to learn - whether you are an engaged student leader on campus already or looking to take your first step on your leadership journey. We intentionally seek students with a wide variety of interests and experiences. At the core of the LeaderShape experience is understanding the value of leading with integrity and the possibilities that come from a commitment to leading with purpose.
Want to learn more? Keep reading or contact us at activities@mtu.edu.
What happens at the LeaderShape® Institute?
The Institute challenges participants to lead with integrity while working towards a vision grounded in their deepest values. Through the 4-day retreat students will:
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Develop a sense of community
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Make meaning of their personal values and connect their actions to them
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Strengthen their leadership style and understand how to work with other leadership styles
The program content reflects key leadership elements of vision, partnerships, integrity, and results. Each day has a different theme that builds on the previous day as the session progresses:
Day One: Living and Leading with Integrity
Day Two: Challenging What Is, Looking to What Could Be
Day Three: The Value of One, The Power of All
Day Four: Living in Possibility
The Institute utilizes highly interactive program methods rather than classroom lectures. In this environment, everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner. Many of the activities engage the large group known as the Learning Community. Smaller groups, called Family Clusters, are also formed as a supportive, safe environment for personal reflection and the development of new skills, attitudes, and abilities.
Not a typical leadership retreat, the Institute is grounded in helping individuals identify the values they hold that lead to making a difference in the communities around them. By leading with passion, integrity, and a healthy disregard for the impossible, participants explore who they are and the impact that they want to have on communities working towards a more caring, just and equitable society.