Learn to Lead Program

Anxiety is a natural response, but when it becomes overwhelming it can interfere with daily life. This workshop explores the function of anxiety and the brain-body connection behind it, helping participants understand why anxiety shows up and how it affects us. Attendees will learn practical coping strategies and evidence-based skills to manage anxiety more effectively and build resilience.

The Power of Groups explores how collaboration enhances learning, problem-solving, and personal growth. This session highlights the benefits of working in groups, including diverse perspectives, shared strengths, and increased creativity. Using a strengths-based approach, students will learn how to recognize and leverage their own talents while appreciating the unique contributions of others. Participants will gain practical strategies for effective communication, conflict resolution, and building trust in teams. By the end, students will see how working together not only improves outcomes but also fosters resilience, confidence, and stronger connections.

This Learn to Lead workshop will explore best practices in intercultural communication. We live in a very diverse country and global world and knowing how to effectively communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds is a key skill in leading multicultural teams. In this workshop we'll explore how culture affects the way we communicate, how we listen and understand each other and why understanding these differences will improve your communication and leadership skills in the future.

** Formerly the Intercultural Communication Best Practices workshop.

This interactive workshop explores how cultural values influence the way we speak, listen, and lead; from direct vs. indirect communication to emotional expression and power dynamics. Through engaging activities and reflection, you'll learn practical strategies on how to navigate cultural differences, build trust across cultures, and lead with empathy. 

CliftonStrengths themes will be woven throughout to help you better understand your own leadership and communication style and how it shows up in diverse settings. 

Whether you're leading diverse teams or simply curious about cultural dynamics, this session will help you grow as a more inclusive and effective communicator. 

This workshop uses Life Design principles to help you create a clear, confident plan for your life and career - generating more ideas, sparking creativity, easing future-related stress, and aligning your choices with what matters most to you. Based on Bill Burnett and Dave Evans' framework and the principles of design thinking, you'll explore concepts such as prototyping, odyssey planning, and developing a personal world view and work view. Through these tools, you'll learn to approach life's "wicked" challenges with curiosity and creativity, and map your next steps at Western and beyond.

** Formerly the Career Design workshop.

Empathy has been identified as one of the most important leadership skills in all industries. It has also become more important during the challenging times of the pandemic, where those we engage with are experiencing multiple kinds of stress and have experienced great personal or professional disruptions. Join us to understand what empathy is, how to utilize it when working with others, and how you may lead with empathy.

Explore the Japanese concept of Ikigai—your reason for being—as a powerful framework for enhancing your life and career. We will connect five areas of wellbeing—Career/Purpose, Social, Financial, Physical, and Community—to the four dimensions of Ikigai: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Develop a personal Ikigai map linking the five areas of wellbeing.

Effective leaders know self-care and personal wellness are important tools to achieving individual and team goals! Time management, being assertive, recognizing and managing stress, and staying motivated are all personal development skills explored in this workshop. Participants will learn about the sources of stress, strategies and methods to ensure their own needs are met while being a productive and supportive member of any team.

Character can be visualized as the root system of a tree, supporting the growth and extension of the branches – our strengths, skills, and competencies. The branches are important for what we do day-to-day, but when a storm comes, it is a strong root system that will keep us steady. Today’s emerging leaders face unprecedented challenges requiring strength of character and clarity of judgment to mobilize personal strengths and competencies.

In this session, we will explore the Leader Character Framework developed by researchers at Ivey Business School, and we will consider the relationship between character dimensions and the Clifton Strengths. Participants will also learn about opportunities to further explore character development at Western as undergraduate or graduate students.

Following this workshop, participants will:

• Describe 11 dimensions of character identified in Ivey's Leader Character Framework
• Reflect on how character development can leverage and mobilize the Clifton Strengths
• Identify avenues for further exploration of character-based leadership at the undergraduate and/or graduate level

In this workshop, students are introduced to the CliftonStrengths approach and explore their potential talent areas using Gallup’s “5 Clues to Talent” reflective exercise - no prior assessment required. Through guided activities, participants learn the core principles of strengths-based development, increase their self-awareness, and identify how their natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving can support academic success, leadership, and career planning.

Communicating with others is a crucial leadership skill. In this workshop, we'll explore how to communicate with clarity, confidence, and connection by using key verbal and non-verbal techniques to start, maintain, and end conversations effectively.

This Learn to Lead workshop explores Experiential Learning at Western while asking students to consider the kinds of leaders they want to be. After identifying some values and skills, students will then be introduced to the merits of reflection and coached through the development of actionable strategies to get the most out of their experiences and start working toward their leadership goals. 

Effective communication starts with intentional listening. In this workshop, we’ll explore how to use your natural strengths to build genuine understanding and stronger connections with others. You’ll learn strategies to improve your active listening skills while managing distractions. Whether in team settings, friendships, or professional conversations, you’ll discover how intentional listening can enhance your impact as a leader and help others feel truly heard.

** Formerly the Listening to People workshop.

This workshop explores why building and maintaining friendships can be challenging and how your unique talents can help. We'll dive into practical strategies for developing strong connections and maintaining them. You'll learn how your Top 5 CliftonStrengths influence the way you connect with others, giving you the self-awareness and tools to build a supportive and awesome network of friends.

Learning how to effectively manage conflict can lead to less stress. This Learn to Lead workshop will help you to understand collaborative methods for resolving conflict and solving interest-based problems as well as identify which strategies are appropriate in various situations.    

Maybe you've heard about the benefits of mindfulness meditation but aren't sure where to start? In this beginner-friendly session, you'll learn what mindfulness is, how meditation can improve your attention and focus, and practical steps to begin your own practice. We'll also take time to meditate together, so you can experience it for yourself.

Thinking about your future but not sure what path to take? This workshop is your chance to get a clear picture. Using your CliftonStrengths as a compass, we'll explore how your personal mission, core values and sense of purpose can guide your academic choices and future career. You'll learn to connect the dots between what you're good at and what truly matters to you, leaving with the clarity and confidence to build a path that is uniquely yours.

This workshop supports students in developing a clear and authentic personal brand using storytelling techniques. Participants learn how to communicate their strengths, experiences, and values in ways that enhance resumes, interviews, and networking conversations. The session builds students’ confidence and equips them with practical tools to craft narratives that effectively represent who they are and how they contribute in academic, workplace, and community settings.

In this Learn to Lead workshop, participants will have the opportunity to consider the difference between equality and equity, how they see equity (or inequity) show up in their lives, their approach to various scenarios, and a plan moving forward with equity top of mind.

This workshop examines the many dimensions of professionalism, why it matters to individuals, teams, and the broader community, and how its meaning can vary across industries and cultures. You'll explore core attributes—such as competence, integrity, respect, and effective communication—and how they build trust, credibility, and strong relationships. Through engaging case studies, you'll put professionalism into practice, developing the skills and mindset to make a positive impression, strengthen your reputation, and advance in today's competitive job market.

** Formerly the Professionalism workshop.

Join us for this one-hour workshop designed to provide student leaders with reflective opportunities to better understand how identity, lived experiences, and socialization impact the intersectional ways that we experience and engage with rejection. Then, participants will utilize CliftonStrengths to develop a personalized plan for improving their rejection resilience that can be applied within both leadership and interpersonal contexts.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of this workshop, participants will:

• Reflect on how the intersectional aspects of their identity bear down on how they navigate rejection.
• Learn to apply cognitive reframing, compassionate self-advocacy, and their own CliftonStrengths to navigate professional setbacks, relational challenges, and leadership roles with resilience and integrity.
• Develop a personalized action plan for supporting themselves and others in overcoming setbacks within diverse campus communities.

Knowing what your needs are is the first step to communicating them. In this workshop, you'll explore how to identify your wants and needs, uncover what might get in the way of expressing them, and use your strengths to communicate your needs with compassion and confidence.

In this interactive session, you'll explore what self-compassion is, why it's a powerful leadership skill, and how it can strengthen your personal and professional relationships. Through a discussion of tangible strategies, you'll apply self-compassion to your unique strengths.

This session will help you understand how to manage your time by incorporating and prioritizing rest and boundaries into your schedule. We will address how we can be our most effective selves and avoid burnout by setting these boundaries when balancing our work, personal, and academic lives. 

You will be sent an access link prior to the Summit, this will include instructions and a code.

All Learn to Lead Summit workshops will be infused with CliftonStrengths, so we highly recommend that you complete the assessment prior to your first workshop.

You can view your results on the Gallup Portal. You will login with your Western credentials.

No, if you have already completed the assessment at Western, you do not have to take the assessment again, nor will you be able to.

Students can attend Learn to Lead Summits and work towards the Learn to Lead certificates throughout the duration of their degree.

Workshops are 50-minutes in length (facilitated by Western faculty and staff) and attendees must attend 40 minutes for the workshop to be eligible towards a Learn to Lead certificate.

No. In order to be eligible for the certificate, you need to participate and attend 4 different workshops (or 8 different workshops for the Advanced Leadership certificate).

Late attendees will not be admitted into a workshop once 10 minutes have passed. You are welcome to register for another session at future Summits.

1. Log in to connect.uwo.ca
2. Select the Programs tab
3. Select the Learn to Lead tab
4. Select the "Certificate Tracking" option
5. Review your progress and select Completed Certificate
6. Select the round black button on the bottom right of the page
7. Select "Print" to download your certificate