Building Bobcat leaders

There’s something special about leadership at Ohio University.

It’s not just taught in a classroom. It’s lived—on late nights in Baker University Center, in student organization meetings that run longer than planned, and in the quiet moments when students realizes others are looking to them for direction.

At the Walter Center for Strategic Leadership in the College of Business, that belief sits at the core of everything: leadership is something you practice, not just something you study.

But even the most committed student leaders often move from one responsibility to the next without ever stopping to ask,  “Am I becoming the leader I want to be?”

A new initiative is helping them answer that question. 

Creating space for student leaders to reflect and grow

Launched by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Learning and Development Committee is creating space for student leaders to reflect, grow and strengthen their leadership. Through leadership 360 assessments, the committee partners with executive teams across student organizations to offer structured, meaningful feedback on communication, team dynamics and leadership effectiveness.

The idea first emerged in a conversation with Nathan Knause (who at the time was a graduating senior) in 2024 about expanding the organization’s impact. That conversation is another example of how some of the most meaningful innovations are sparked by the students the program is designed to serve.

“Executive members are often so focused on running their organizations that they don’t have time to invest in their own growth as leaders,” said Associate Professor of Instruction in Management Shawnee Chapman, who helped bring the initiative to life. “We wanted to create a way to pour back into those students—to help them grow while they’re actively leading.”

That idea is what makes this effort feel deeply aligned with the spirit of Ohio University. And in true Bobcat fashion, students themselves are leading the way.

OHIO students receive hands-on leadership experience

Ali Addington, alongside Isabella Newman and Zoe Slaven, has helped shape the committee into something far more than a project. It’s become a hands-on leadership lab where students aren’t just learning about organizational development, they’re actively practicing it.

“It’s been incredibly collaborative,” Addington shared. “We’re building something together, and that’s part of what makes it so meaningful.”

For the organizations they serve, the impact is immediate and can be seen through clearer communication, stronger alignment and more intentional leadership. But for the students doing the work, the experience runs even deeper.

They’re gaining the kind of real-world perspective that typically comes years into a career. The OHIO students are learning how to listen, how to guide and how to help others lead better.

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And that impact doesn’t stop within the College of Business. As the committee has grown, so has its vision.

Phase one of the program began as a pilot within the College of Business organizations, designed as a foundation for something larger. The broader goal is to reach student leaders across campus.

While Ohio University offers many leadership development opportunities, student leaders, especially those outside business programs, often have limited access to tools like leadership 360 assessments and executive board coaching.

Expanding the program to students all across the university

Now, phase two is expanding the program to serve organizations across Ohio University, ensuring that more students benefit from this kind of transformational feedback.

Because when one student leader grows, the ripple effect is real.

Teams function better, organizations thrive and graduates leave Athens not just with experiences, but with the confidence and clarity to lead wherever they go next.

“These students are getting a glimpse of executive coaching,” Chapman said. “They’re building skills they might not otherwise be exposed to—shifting how they listen, how they respond, and how they lead with intention, which shapes how they lead as they enter the workplace and their communities.”

That’s the kind of difference that defines the Bobcat experience. It’s also the kind of work that grows stronger with the support of those who believe in it.

For alumni and donors, initiatives like this represent something powerful: the opportunity to invest directly in the next generation of leaders. These students are already stepping up, already making an impact and already carrying forward the values that make Ohio University so distinct.

The SHRM is open to all majors and is part of the Robert D. Walter Center for Strategic Leadership in the College of Business. SHRM’s mission is to equip students with the HR competencies needed to create better workplaces while emphasizing people, processes and performance. You can learn more about SHRM, including how to join the organization here: https://www.ohio.edu/business/about/centers-institutes/walter-strategic-leadership/hr-programs/society-human-resource-management