Workshops by Request

The Illinois Leadership® Center (ILC) offers a variety of engaging, experiential 50-minute workshops based on the latest leadership research and designed to support students in their academic classes. These workshops are available by request for classes, student employee teams, and student groups for free. These workshops are also available for faculty and staff groups upon request for a small fee. Workshop requests must meet a minimum of 10 participants.

Important Note

The 2023-24 Workshop Request form is now closed. The 2024-25 Workshop Request form will open in June. Please email leadership@illinois.edu with any questions or if you would like to be notified when the 2024-25 Workshop Request form goes live.

Workshop Descriptions

Addressing Conflict in Teams

Recognizing the importance of conflict in personal and professional relationships is a key skill in teamwork. In this workshop, we explore how conflict often arises and how it can be an opportunity for change and greater understanding. We will help students assess their personal conflict management technique and learn strategies to build their conflict management skills. 

Illinois Leadership Competencies Addressed: Relationship Management, Openness, Group Dynamics

CliftonStrengths for Students: Self-Discovery

This workshop is designed to help students understand their talents to improve their self-efficacy and awareness, as well as to leverage their talents in academic life and beyond. Prior to the workshop, participants must complete the CliftonStrengths assessment which generates their top five talent themes. To learn more, visit the CliftonStrengths webpage.

Entering Community Partnerships

This workshop, created in collaboration with We CU, provides information about what to expect over the course of a service project, how to successfully communicate and collaborate with your community partner, and how to critically reflect on the role that service experience plays in your personal and professional growth. This workshop is strongly recommended for volunteers about to start their service project.

Illinois Leadership Competencies Addressed: Service-Minded, Communication, Relationship Management

Illinois Leadership Inventory

In this workshop, you will learn more about the Illinois Model of Leadership and discover courses, events, and resources to enhance your leadership abilities using our online self-assessment module.  Take the Illinois Leadership Inventory here.

Illinois Leadership Competencies Addressed: Self-KnowledgeSelf-Management

Leading with Empathy and Compassion

Leaders usually desire to be empathetic but are often asked to make hard decisions that can hurt or disappoint others. In this workshop, participants will learn how to balance empathy and effectiveness through compassionate leadership. Defining features of this workshop include practicing active listening and tools to prevent empathy burnout. Participants will have the opportunity to make the key connections between empathy, compassion, and leadership.

Illinois Leadership Competencies Addressed: Empathy, Communication, Reflection

Practicing Servant Leadership

Anyone can be a leader but what about a servant leader? The main goal of a Servant Leader is to serve others. This means prioritizing others’ ideas and goals over your own and valuing relationships first in your leadership. In this workshop, participants will recognize what servant leadership looks like, identify the core competencies of Servant Leadership and learn how to encourage others to practice servant leadership.

Illinois Leadership Competencies Addressed: Integrity, Followership, Change Management

Sustainability Leadership: Solving Wicked Problems in Organizations

Sustainability is a complex, ever-changing, wicked problem, so how can leaders begin to find solutions? Developed in collaboration with the Student Sustainability Committee, this workshop asks students to identify wicked questions within sustainability issues and navigate the different perspectives and priorities that inform solutions.  Students will leave with tools and practices that sustainability-minded leaders can use in their organizations.

Illinois Leadership Competencies Addressed: Change Management, Sustainability, Systems Thinking

Telling My Leadership Story

What makes one an authentic leader? By telling personal leadership stories, people reflect on different aspects of leadership such as their values and beliefs, their goals, the actions that they take to achieve those goals, and why their role as a leader is important. In this workshop, participants will learn the purpose of telling their leadership stories and how to tell a story that represents their purpose as a leader. Participants will be able to draft and practice telling their story in a way that highlights who they are as a leader. 

Illinois Leadership Competencies Addressed: Empathy, Communication, Reflection

Working in Global Organizations

Today, many organizations bring people together from various cultures and work experiences to offer a wide range of perspectives on strategy and organizational challenges. In this workshop, participants will learn how to identify challenges of working in diverse teams and practice frameworks that can overcome these challenges. Participants will be able to navigate situations where cultural differences are present. 

Illinois Leadership Competencies Addressed: Self-Knowledge, Group Dynamics, Global Competence