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Building leaders, lesson by lesson (continued)
"This is very interdisciplinary," McSpadden emphasizes. "Someone who is getting a nursing degree could absolutely get this leadership certificate. It's important, if you want to be a leader in your field, that you tie these two things together."
McSpadden's own story is a case study of proactive leadership focused in a number of different fields.
Her first experiences in leadership were as captain of three varsity sports during high school in Essex Junction, Vt. At the University of Vermont, McSpadden earned a degree in political science and also spent a year as an intern for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. She says these early experiences combining observation and practice were fundamental in her own life-long passion for student leadership.
That passion was deferred for several years, however. When McSpadden's two sons were growing up (both are now in college), she chaired the Anderson School Board and served as president of the Montana School Board Association. She and her husband Doug had already owned, operated and sold a successful outdoor adventure company, Backcountry Bicycle Tours, when she joined the Gallatin County Planning Board. She chaired Montana's first open lands board, and helped Gallatin County secure a bond of $10 million to preserve open space. In recognition of her years of community service, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle recently selected her as the 2008 Woman of the Year for its Balance magazine.
In her personal time McSpadden hikes and rides her bike, and she participated numerous times in the 260-mile Tour of the Swan River Valley bike ride.
"I have taken the time to discern what it is that inspires me," McSpadden says. "Sometimes that's recognizing that if it's a sunny, beautiful day, even though the paperwork and dishes are piled up and there's three loads of laundry to do, I still need to take advantage of what would be the best and most energizing use of my time when it presents itself."
Kent Norby, a member of the Leadership Institute advisory board and former North American vice president of human resources for Cargill, says McSpadden's energy is contagious. "She motivates and challenges her staff."
Norby sees McSpadden's style as an asset to students because she is invested in their success.
"She is not going to be the loudest person in the meeting, but she will assign her students tasks, hold them accountable, and let them make mistakes as they grow," he says.
That's the kind of impact Stordahl says will carry him far into his career.
"I know I can get an electrical engineering degree in a lot of places. But what's going to set me apart from the other engineers is having those communication and team-building skills I've learned and developed from her."
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Under Carmen McSpadden's direction, MSU's Leadership Institute has developed the potential of scores of students.
Photo by Stephen Hunts |
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