President Brodhead Shares Insights With Duke's Emerging Leaders
Third class of Duke Leadership Academy begins with visit by Brodhead
Sara-Jane Raines, a major in the Duke University Police Department, has a master's degree in public safety leadership but received a new perspective on inspiring others during her first day as a member of the Duke Leadership Academy.
She was among 27 class members who gathered Thursday to hear from President Richard H. Brodhead. During his visit, which kicked off this year's academy, Brodhead shared stories of his rise from a neophyte professor of literature to president of a world-renowned university and offered a simple recipe for leadership.
"In my job, leadership is about meeting everyone, listening to everyone, then putting their ideas back out to them in terms of the mission of Duke," he told the class. "People want to hear you put their aspirations into words so they can act on them."
The Duke Leadership Academy class will spend 12 months learning about leadership in a curriculum based on best practices from the Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics (COLE) model. Activities include coaching, classroom learning, intensive personal assessments and practical application of leadership theories. Deans or vice presidents from academic and administrative areas across Duke nominate academy class members.
The aim of the academy, which is co-sponsored by COLE and Duke Human Resources, is to nurture the next generation of leaders at Duke, said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president of administration at Duke and chair of the Duke Leadership Academy Advisory Committee.
"This is the third year for the Duke Leadership Academy, and I am thrilled with its development," he said. "Over the past three years, the program has grown, providing participants with a unique experience. It blends leadership theory with conversations where senior leaders at Duke and Durham share their perspectives and practical experiences of leadership."
Raines, the police major, got her undergraduate degree at Duke in 1983 and has worked here since 1989. She said she is honored to be part of the class and excited about the opportunity to see how leadership manifests itself across different areas at Duke.
"I like to believe I can think outside of the box," Raines said. "But I expect this experience to broaden my perspective and help me learn to think in new ways."
For more information, visit the Duke Leadership Academy website.