The McLauchlan Leadership Experience, launched in 2015 thanks to a generous gift from Russ and Cara McLauchlan, is a non-credit, signature leadership development program for select Jenkins Graduate Programs students. To date, over several hundred graduate students have become McLauchlan Fellows.
About the Program
Discover a transformative journey in leadership development with the McLauchlan Leadership Experience and master the fundamentals of personal, team and organizational leadership through a dynamic series of experiential learning activities and networking events.
McLauchlan Fellows are also formally recognized at the graduation ceremony.
100% Participants Reported Being Better Leaders
Based on the 2015-2020 Fellows Survey
Program Objectives
The McLauchlan Leadership Experience (MLE) is a capstone experience in the Jenkins MBA that embraces the Think and Do motto of NC State. The MLE will enhance your self- and social-awareness as a leader and improve your ability to lead in dynamic environments across a variety of contexts. It is a selective leadership development experience available by application only.
With access to corporate executives and community leaders throughout the experience, fellows build their professional network and experience leadership development to further career growth.
Fellows will get an opportunity to bring the NC State mantra to life by blending the art and science of leadership to tackle a real-world leadership issue.
Expanding Your Impact
Share knowledge about leadership insights and leverage new skills, mentor others, and engage with the community to tackle grand challenges.
Improving Self-Awareness
Improve your self-awareness to become a more effective leader using a strengths-based exercise (Reflected Best Self) and an improvement-based exercise (Personal Development Challenge)
“This group brought the energy, dedication, and support needed to drive each of us to learn more about ourselves, and about how to lead others in today’s VUCA [volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous] world.”
Jen Todd ’23
McLauchlan Fellow
Program Timeline
The MLE consists of a kickoff session including dinner on a Friday evening (5:00 – 9:00pm), four full Saturdays spread over four months (8:30am – 5:00pm), and a closing event on the fourth Saturday (5:00pm – 6:30pm).
Kickoff Event
Join your fellow MLE participants in a kickoff event designed to introduce you to the program, interact with other participants, and meet the faculty who will lead you through the MLE.
Session I: Get Grounded
Critically evaluate leadership data and resources to create compelling arguments and effectively communicate new ideas to others.
Session II: Look Inward
Improve self-awareness to become a more effective leader.
Session III: Look Around You
Build and leverage social ties to make impact.
Session IV: Take Action
Develop actionable solutions for a real-world leadership issue.
