Purpose of the Tally Leadership Center:
Our country urgently needs abler and more ethical leaders
in all walks of life. The Methodist University Lura S.
Tally Center for Leadership Development was founded in
1995 to promote leadership among the students of the University.
The Center's activities include offering an academic minor
in Leadership Studies, sponsoring an annual Community
Leadership Conference, and coordinating other events throughout
the year to enhance the leadership skills of those who
participate.
Through the Methodist University curriculum, the Tally Center offers
academic courses that develop traits and skills that employers
will be looking for in the 21st century. Students participate
in innovative courses, student-led activities, campus and community
service, and off-campus internships. In addition to leadership
theory and techniques, the Center emphasizes ethics, character,
and self-confidence.
Mission:
To prepare Methodist University students for effective
leadership by equipping them with the knowledge, skills,
and abilities necessary to achieve positive change in
community life and in the workplace.
Goals:
Goal 1: Students who
graduate with a minor in Leadership Studies will demonstrate
basic skills of personal and interpersonal leadership;
will demonstrate knowledge of the theories and approaches
to leadership; and will demonstrate the ability to analyze
and understand contemporary issues of leadership.
Goal 2: Students, staff,
faculty, and community members who participate in one
or more LSS courses or Tally Center sponsored events will
have opportunities to enrich their understanding and abilities
of leadership.
Objectives:
Develop Individual Leadership Skills.
"Major capacities and competencies of leadership can be learned,"
says Warren Bennis, a prominent scholar of leaders and leadership.
The skills and techniques taught by the Center will prepare students
for distinguished roles in business, in government, and in the
community.
Promote Democratic and Civic Values.
Our democracy is founded on the principle that all citizens share
responsibility for governance. Thus we must have citizen leaders
who possess the necessary democratic values of participation,
responsibility, and integrity that guide how people live and work
together. Through the Center's activities, students will learn
the meanings and importance of our society's core values.
Inspire Ethical Behavior. When
time is short and stakes are high, character may be a leader's
most important guide, motivating action toward decent ends. The
Center will both test and develop students' character through
action projects and exercises.
Instill Personal Confidence. Effective
leaders operate constructively in the midst of ambiguity, risk,
delayed reward, and possible failure. The Center will strive to
develop confident leaders who can empower others to solve problems
even under difficult circumstances. "Everyone does have a
leader inside," writes Robert Reich, former Secretary of
Labor.
