Enacting leadership: The reciprocal influence between instructor and student

The “selfie” assignment Research on relational leadership and leader–member exchange (Uhl-Bien, 2011) emphasizes the importance of human social constructions (consideration behaviors, high quality dyadic exchanges) that emanate from the establishment of rich personal connections. Below the picture, in addition to writing their name, where they work, and job title (if applicable), they are asked to draft a statement of their personal leadership philosophy and explain what they hope to learn in the course that will help them meet challenges in their place of work or in their personal lives (i.e., a mini needs assessment leading to a possible modification of learning goals). Using emotional intelligence and improving relationships through coaching Role-play activities As part of teamwork, role-playing exercises serve as an important experiential activity, especially when teaching how to develop others through coaching. The latter case, in particular, assesses the student leader’s ability to exhibit empathy—a critical component of social awareness in emotional intelligence—and work with the team member to find a solution that is mutually acceptable.