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Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a remarkable leader?
Beyond simply acquiring the knowledge and skills to create strategic plans and make business decisions, leadership development is personal, and it's a journey. It requires rigorous self-reflection and meaning-making throughout one's experiences to continuously grow, transform, and positively impact the people, the organizations, and the world around us. 

Recognizing the influence of personal growth on leadership learning, the "Leadership as Personal Journey" course in Muhlenberg's Master of Organizational Leadership program offers students the opportunity to gain insight into their unique leadership style and how it evolves.

By prioritizing introspection, learning interpersonal skills, and integrating diverse leadership theories, the course equips students with the self-knowledge, tools, and theoretical frames necessary to become effective and authentic leaders. Through this journey, students discover their own leadership potential and develop the capacity to support the growth and development of others.

"Human beings are at the core of organizational success at every level. Even as AI and technology continue to evolve and expand in our world, the need for self-aware leaders who understand the impact they have on others and how to bring out the best in others remains essential...and maybe even moreso than ever before." 

~ Allison Williams, “Leadership as Personal Journey” Course Designer and Instructor

Under Williams’ guidance, students explore theory and research, personal identities, strengths, and experiences to set the stage for future success as leaders in various organizational contexts. An accomplished leader in her own right, Williams currently holds a senior-level position at Muhlenberg College. She is the Vice President for College Life and oversees the operations of 14 departments that support residential and co-curricular experiences for undergraduate students. The departments are composed of approximately 75 staff with a complex, collective operating budget of $1 million+. Williams has held this position for the past eight years. Her background also includes 20+ years experience in higher education administration, a master of education degree from the University of Georgia and a bachelor of science degree in communication and business from James Madison University.

A Humanistic Teaching Approach
Williams prepared to teach her course by participating in a distinctive faculty development program created and led by Muhlenberg’s team of instructional designers. The program requires completion of an intensive course in humanized online and hybrid course design. Throughout this experience, faculty explore frameworks, principles, and practices for engaging students in learning activities that center human presence and interaction and meaningful engagement of course materials. At the same time, faculty learn to align their courses with Muhlenberg’s institutional values related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This approach is learner-centered, research-based, and also reflected in the online course design quality review process.

A major distinguishing feature of Muhlenberg’s graduate and continuing education programs is that they are created and taught by Muhlenberg’s own faculty. Unlike many other colleges and universities, Muhlenberg does not outsource hybrid/online course development to online content providers or program managers. Through ongoing professional development, our faculty are equipped to design and teach engaging hybrid and online courses that reflect national as well as Muhlenberg’s standards for accreditation.

The Student Experience
Williams actively engages students in her course through a dynamic blend of virtual face-to-face sessions and asynchronous learning opportunities. The class meets once a week over Zoom, allowing for small and large group discussions, reflections, and critical analysis of various leadership models. Outside of class, students engage with multi-media resources, asynchronous assignments, and interactive online discussions to explore influential leadership texts and successful role models, and to synthesize these insights to shape their own approach to leadership.

The course encourages students to articulate their findings, personal leadership vision, and development plans to their peers as a culminating project. By preparing their unique perspectives and plans to share with peers, students strengthen their learning through careful editing and revisions and contribute to a collaborative and supportive learning environment. 

“From my perspective, it is so common that everyone is so busy doing leadership, working hard to make an impact, and responding to the demands of work and life that it is hard to carve out space to reflect on your leadership practice in a way that allows you to make meaningful change. The Leadership as Personal Journey course provides just that. Space for learning, reflecting, and making meaning of your previous leadership experiences coupled with your personal values and strengths to enable you to deepen your personal leadership philosophy and practice and to sharpen your impact.” ~ Allison Williams

As we heard from former students, “Leadership as Personal Journey” has led to moments of personal growth and transformation through critical examination of core leadership attitudes and behaviors, both in themselves and others.

In the words of Tracey Mathews, a former student, "At my age, you think you know yourself pretty well, but I can honestly say that I left Professor Williams’ course feeling like I had a better understanding of who I am, both professionally and personally...and I enjoyed every minute of it."

Allison Petula, another former student, shared that she gained valuable insights while reflecting on the ways that the leadership behaviors of others have influenced her own journey. Important to her learning was the realization that leadership development does not happen in isolation.

Students leave the course with a deeper understanding of what it means to be a leader and a personal roadmap tracing their journeys from past to present. They also leave with a plan of action that includes personal development goals. For anyone wishing to study the discipline of leadership at Muhlenberg, this course offers constant reminding that becoming a remarkable leader is not a fixed endpoint but depends on a continuous and deeply personal process of discovery.

If you’re ready to start your own personal journey, schedule a time to talk with an advisor at Muhlenberg today.

Learn more by...

• Attending an Information Session 
• Scheduling an Appointment with a Graduate Studies Advisor