McKay School of Education > News > BYU Clinic Director Selected for ASHA Leadership Development Program
BYU Clinic Director Selected for ASHA Leadership Development Program
Lee Robinson
ASHA implements the Leadership Development Program to increase the number of individuals who are qualified to lead. Each year 20 participants are selected to undergo a six-month program of leadership training. In June Robinson and other participants attended a two and a half day seminar at the National ASHA Office in Rockville, Maryland, during which they were instructed in leadership strategies and techniques to prepare them to help build the professional community of current and future speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
The conference and subsequent follow-up conference calls have focused on applying principles of leadership to improve efficiency. "The knowledge and skills that I gained have been extremely helpful," Robinson remarked. "I have applied them immediately, so I am managing the hectic aspect of work much more efficiently now."
The program benefits are already evident in Robinson's sphere of influence. "It has definitely enhanced my job performance, and I have seen a direct benefit to the students already--in both my graduate and undergraduates classes," she explained.
Two strategies in particular have influenced Robinson's leadership as a professor and clinic director. "Simply writing down specific goals I want to accomplish has made a great impact on me," she related. "Reviewing them every day, making adjustments as needed, and writing out how I will reward myself are crucial elements in properly utilizing goal setting." Such a suggestion may seem obvious, but Robinson noted how the diligent application of the strategy could result in enormous benefits. "I am so excited about how motivating it is to see my goals on paper," she enthused.
Second, Robinson has learned the importance of looking on the positive side of situations. At first, she did not realize how introspective the program was going to be. She explained that the participants were required to do deep self-evaluations and fill out personal questionnaires. "I discovered that I was not as positive as I thought I was, both about myself and my students," she explained. "I have always felt really good and positive about my students, but I realized that I do not always tell them, especially in front of others. I realized that if you praise someone in front of others, they feel better about themselves and they reach higher goals. It gives them a big boost."
More than the benefits for herself, Robinson has been enthusiastic about the applications and benefits the strategies can have for her students. "I am excited about helping my students incorporate leadership skills in their own lives," she said. She explained how many students, although carefully prepared at BYU, go out into the real world and are hired into systems that are not very efficient--even flawed. "If we teach students all these great things about being a speech-language pathologist or an audiologist without giving them the skills to effect change at that new level, it is, in my opinion, like giving them one good oar and a rowboat--they are just going to go round and round."
Leadership has grown in importance in Robinson's mind. She now describes herself as an advocate for leadership training. "In order to be a good leader you have to be a competent professional but you also need to be able to interact with people in such a way that you motivate, inspire and help others around you reach their potential," she said. "If you have one and not the other, you are not going to be effective."
10 November 2008