UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Some Penn State employees are born leaders, some achieve a leadership status and some have leadership thrust upon them. However the mantle is achieved, a Penn State employee’s ability to effectively lead can help a project, department and even the entire University realize its goals.
The Penn State Emerging Leaders (PSEL) certificate program, offered by the Office of Human Resources’ Center for Workplace Learning and Performance, is designed to increase employees' effectiveness as leaders, strengthen their ability to contribute to organizational priorities and prepare them for tomorrow’s leadership challenges.
The application period for the 2016 program will end soon. Interested employees and supervisors can visit the PSEL page on the OHR website for application details.
“The PSEL program is free for employees, and is primarily for high-performing faculty and staff who demonstrate above-average leadership potential but do not currently have supervisory or management responsibilities,” said Sue Cromwell, Workplace Learning and Performance director.
PSEL is about more than building confidence. Christy Helms, interim manager of CWLP’s Leadership and Management Development, described the program as a blended-learning experience parsed over the course of a year, with only 44 of the 100-required hours dedicated to the traditional seminar or classroom setting. She said the remaining hours are spent on self-directed informal workplace learning activities that encourage participants to apply new skills and expertise in their current role while sharing progress with others in the program.
According to Tom Glass, a research engineer at the Applied Research Laboratory and a member of the current PSEL class, one the most valuable elements of the program is the opportunity to network with peers, colleagues and other leaders at Penn State.
“The opportunity to interact with others from across the University and see what they are involved in (is most beneficial),” Glass said. “Where I work, we don’t have many chances to interact with other areas of the University.”
For Matt Masullo, a business relationship manager at Penn State and a member of the current PSEL class, the 360 Evaluation exercise, where participants seek evaluations from peers and supervisors, was one of the most beneficial activities.
“Getting open, honest feedback is one of my biggest takeaways from the program,” Masullo said. “The only way to better yourself is knowing what your strengths are and capitalizing on them, as well as finding opportunities for improvement and striving to make those areas strengths."
Supervisors of PSEL participants play an important role before, during and after the program, starting with completion of the Supervisor Input Form and continuing through the program in the form of time, support, resources and advice.
For more information about the PSEL program, contact Christy Helms at cwh19@psu.edu or Mary Ann Harvey at muh15@psu.edu.