Leadership Minor

My time in the leadership studies minor has completely enhanced my time at Auburn. I decided to pursue this minor in the hopes of not only developing as a professional but as an individual. I have had the opportunity to create personal relationships and mentorships within the minor and have made connections that I will take with me well beyond my time at Auburn. I am so excited to continue through the curriculum and gain skills that will allow me to feel confident and excited for whatever my future holds.

I learned about the leadership minor through an email sent out from the College of Liberal Arts. After a little bit of research, I decided it was something I wanted to pursue. As a Professional Flight major, I wanted to have a minor that would be relevant to my career as a pilot. In aviation, the captain of the plane is often thought of as the leader or person in charge of the flight. Commercial airlines need leaders who can go on to be captains. The leadership minor gave me the tools necessary to be a great captain at a major airline one day. I learned how to not just manage a crew or team, but how to effectively bring people together as part of that team.

I don’t believe there is ever a time where we are not leading. In whatever task we endeavor to accomplish, regardless of its significance, someone is observing and therefore not only learning from us, but also learning something about us. The way we choose to conduct ourselves sets a standard, or a level of expectation for those who are to succeed us. If I am able to claim success for any of my few accomplishments today, it is because I stand on the shoulders of giants who never presumed to have any influence in this world, yet stewarded their positions with great humility, integrity, and reverential faithfulness. We are all leaders, so why not learn how to be a better one? This is why I chose the leadership minor at Auburn University.

My time pursuing the leadership minor has been fantastic! Learning about the styles, types, and traits of leaders, discovering my personal leadership qualities, and engaging in conversations with other students like me who have a fiery passion to lead has been incredible. Through the minor, I have met so many amazing people who display their leadership every single day. That has inspired me to grow my leadership in my classes, clubs, and community.

My time in the leadership minor has been incredible. Not only am I learning how to be a better leader, but I am getting to connect with my classmates who have the same goals in mind. So far, I have learned different leadership styles, communication tactics, and what it takes to be an effective leader on campus. I am hopeful that through the rest of my time at Auburn, I will be able to use these skills in my leadership positions.

My time within the leadership minor consisted of courses that developed my ability to communicate and lead in both my academic and professional careers. The application of the leadership principles throughout each course is one of the greatest attributes of the minor. For instance, the LEAD 4000 course allowed for me to implement my learned competencies to various student organizations. By studying these organizations’ leadership strategies, I was then able to analyze my own perception of leadership and attribute many of the in-classroom topics to real world experiences. As I am now a graduate student in Auburn’s Master of Public Administration program, many of the leadership courses offered within the minor have attributed to my ability to communicate and lead effectively within and beyond the classroom.

Obtaining the leadership minor during my undergraduate studies at Auburn University was a formative experience for me. The knowledge I gained throughout the coursework of the minor has influenced both my personal and professional life in more ways than I can count. Understanding the application of different styles of leadership are universally beneficial strategies for success, and my time in the leadership minor developed these skills within me.