Staff, faculty, grad students sought as leadership coaches
PULLMAN – Christian Busnardo’s goal is to help students grow into successful leaders.
As a leadership coordinator for Student Involvement and Leadership Development, Busnardo works specifically with the Cougar Leadership Program’s Project LEAD (learn, engage, act, develop) a portfolio and certificate program that expands students’ leadership abilities and experiences.
Christian Busnardo, leadership coordinator for Student Involvement. (Photo by Jerry Joel McCollum)
“This job is great because I’m able to work with students one-on-one and help them find success, however they define it,” said Busnardo. He has worked with Project LEAD since graduating from Boise State University in 2007.
“Professionally it gives me the opportunity to coordinate an individual leadership development program,” Busnardo said.
He not only works with students, but also provides administrative support for the program, organizes staff development workshops and recruits staff, faculty and graduate students to become LEAD coaches.
Coaches crucial
Coaches are imperative to Project LEAD because they act as mentors and provide support, assistance and advice to students, Busnardo said. Any staff, faculty or graduate student can become a LEAD coach.
In return, coaches have the opportunity to mentor students in articulating their values, strengths and weaknesses, along with helping them create a leadership development plan and e-portfolio, Busnardo said.
Coaches can mentor one or two students and meet with them on a weekly or monthly basis. The time commitment really depends on the student-mentor relationship, he said.
“Becoming a LEAD coach offers mentors at least one hour a month to step away from their other obligations and meet with students and watch them develop as leaders,” he said.
Mentor training
While the program is relatively new with about 10 coaches, Busnardo hopes to recruit 10 more by spring.
The next step for Busnardo, along with recruiting more coaches, is to supply coaches with more online resources.
“As of now most of our resources are geared toward students. I would like to open it up so coaches have online tools to be successful mentors, too,” he said.
For more information about Project LEAD go ONLINE @ www.lead.wsu.edu or attend the next Coaching Leaders Workshop, open to all staff, faculty and graduate students, at noon Monday, Nov. 3, in CUB 310.
