Engineering talent

A new cohort of College of Engineering staff will soon begin a professional development experience called CIT Leads. This will be the fifth group of managers, leaders, and individual contributors from throughout the college to participate in the program, which includes seven experiential learning modules.

The programs flip the traditional learning platforms on their heads, teaching them in real time, with little to no work outside the in-person or virtual experiential classroom. The programs mostly revolve around both personal and professional development activities. For starters, to provide a level set for the cohort, they participate in two leadership development tools: emotional intelligence (EQ) and the DISC profile assessment. DISC, which stands for dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness, provides the participants with insights on their own style of leadership and teaches them how to better work with people and improve team synergy.

The DISC program also improves self-awareness, understanding other people, and adapting to different behaviors. “This will help them create better work productivity, transform conflict into collaboration, and become more effective people leaders,” said Samuel Boyer, founder and leader of CIT Leads.

The EQ test measures participants’ self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. After completion, they receive a report and attend two discussion sessions surrounding the results.

This will help them create better work productivity, transform conflict into collaboration, and become more effective people leaders.

Founder and leader , CIT Leads

“We talk about the accuracy of the EQ reports: did it reflect and align with the cohort’s perspective of their emotional intelligence? What surprised them about their results?” Boyer explained. “It’s interesting because some people go into it and think they’re extremely emotionally intelligent and they get a low score. Or the opposite happens: some people believe that they don’t have a lot of emotional intelligence and score a lot higher than they expected.”

He also emphasized that most participants have never done the EQ or the DISC assessments before CIT Leads, and that the programs provide practical insight to be utilized for becoming better leaders.

Aside from personal examination and growth, cohorts also experience specifically focused programs in the areas of innovative thinking, conflict resolution, communicating with purpose, personal branding, and how to be a star at work. The final component is journey talks. CEOs, managing partners, academic leaders, and celebrities are brought in to discuss their own professional and personal life experiences.

The CIT Leads program for staff is a competitive advantage for the overall success of the college, empowering its participants with insights and tools they can apply directly to their work and personal lives.