Many of the skills needed to lead and manage a team are the same skills that one relies on as an individual contributor—from effectively expressing one’s ideas to empathizing with others, listening carefully to persuading eloquently. It’s important to note that no one is born with these skills, just as no one is born knowing how to ride a bicycle. These are skills that must be intentionally developed through practice.
MIT students are technically skillful and experienced, but may have less familiarity with teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Over the first half-dozen Engineering Leadership Labs, participants develop greatly increased confidence, self-assurance, and effectiveness. They discover that collaboration isn’t as hard as they feared, and that they are much better at it than they realized. For many students, the experience is exhilarating and transformational—and this development continues throughout the year.
Students initially apply for the one-year GEL 1 program. During this time, they complete three short courses which comprise an integrated package of at least 18 units. Students in GEL 1 learn leadership frameworks and models, and then practice these skills through team-based experiential learning activities and other assignments.
After completing the first year, many GEL 1 students apply to the more advanced GEL 2 program. GEL 2 is a more focused and personalized leadership experience where students are charged with leading an organization or team. GEL 2s further their leadership development by collaborating with instructional staff to plan and deliver experiential learning activities to the GEL 1s.
GEL students gain familiarity and expertise with the fundamentals of leadership theory. As the program progresses, they learn and develop specific tools and frameworks that are relevant to topics such as ethical decision-making, project engineering, and systems thinking.
Developing the Capabilities of Effective Engineering Leaders requires practice, reflection, and refinement. GEL’s weekly Engineering Leadership Lab (ELL) provides a “practice field” that serves as the dynamic core of our students’ leadership development experience. Prior to each ELL, students develop context by participating in a discussion-based course where they learn new concepts, theories, and frameworks to put into practice in that week’s Lab.
In the weekly ELLs, students engage in immersive activities that are designed to challenge their assumptions and develop their leadership skills. Each week GEL1s have the opportunity to to lead their team or to support the leader as a team member. Each ELL focuses on one or more of the Capabilities of Effective Engineering Leaders [Link to 1.4 Capabilities]. These sessions are often supported by professional engineers from a wide range of industries who serve as role players and share real-world experiences to stimulate discussion.
Self-reflection is integral to the GEL program. Both inside and outside of class, students are guided through reflection and self-assessment of their performance and how they can grow. We encourage (and challenge) GEL students to embrace the development of their core values.
GEL’s rigorous program of indirect assessment (at the cohort level) focuses on the change in students’ confidence in their ability to perform specific leadership tasks before and at the end of the program. The gains in student confidence cover a range of tasks that students practice in GEL, including their ability to organize teams. Comparative data supports the view that the program has an independent and consequential effect on leadership capabilities.
Visit this page [Links to 2.4 Ground Rules] to learn more about participation expectations.