Vision
Create a WashU model of leadership, empower each member of our community to build their leadership capabilities, and become an institution renowned for achievement in leadership development.
WashU aims to set the national standard for cultivating purpose-driven leaders of character and capability. WashU Leads was created to demonstrate that leadership is not defined by title or rank—everyone has the capacity to lead by building trust and positively influencing others. WashU Leads ultimately serves as both a convener and catalyst for developing leaders that generate transformative solutions to our deepest societal challenges.
WashU Leads employs an umbrella approach to leadership development across the university’s key populations. By bringing together the individuals responsible for leadership programming for staff, faculty, and students, WashU Leads ensures that all members of the WashU community engage with a shared set of leadership principles and competencies, while also tailoring programs to meet the unique needs of each group. Over the past three years, significant efforts have focused on aligning and enhancing undergraduate leadership programming to maximize its impact through the infusion of purpose-driven leadership development. A WashU education—encompassing both curricular and extracurricular experiences—equips students to understand their values and strengths, identify how they can contribute to society, and develop the leadership qualities necessary to make a meaningful impact. Regardless of their background or professional aspirations, all WashU students will graduate as leaders of character and capability.