Lessons Of Leadership

The Time Tells Hotel was more than just a place to sleep; it was a gathering place, a dining hall, a playground, and most importantly, a classroom. Everyone would circle up in the meeting room with their notebooks to jot down lessons from the interactive Leadership Labs that occurred 5 times over the course of our stay. In each lab, a variety of mediums, such as cards, PowerPoints, and creative demonstrations were used to convey ideas to the rest of the group.  

Each lab had a different theme. During our first night in Ghana, our lab was based around recognizing varying perspectives and how our first impressions shaped the way we were viewed by other fellows. Our second lab focused on defining our values and principles. The third Leadership Lab involved an analysis of our results from the Clifton Strength Finder, a test that reveals key traits (i.e. adaptability, empathy.) Session #4 asked Fellows some tough questions: What does it mean to be a leader of excellence? How do you define “impactful”? The answers to these questions led to a thought-provoking discussion on traits of a leader and the importance of our intentions. Our final Leadership Lab tied everything together through self-reflection. This lab mirrored the first, but instead of discussing first impressions, everyone said what they came to love about their fellow travelers.

Overall, the Leadership Labs helped the fellows to learn more about themselves and how to better interact with those around them.

~Ryan Rowe