iLEAD

By Wilson Wu

iLEAD was a two-day leadership campaign that went beyond the simple teachings of “be leaders” and “don't give up” speeches. Led by Macy Su, this program helped numerous students focus on developing a professional mindset, strengthening core values, and developing practical skills that apply to our lives. Even from the start, iLEAD emphasized that leadership isn’t a role or title given, but a way that you think, act, and work with others to achieve a goal.

The overall structure of iLEAD was quite immersive as across both days, YES worked in seminars, lectures, workshops, practical interviews, along with real-time speaking exercises. All of these activities called for heavy engagement plus active note-taking and processing. YES was asked to reflect, to elaborate, and to consider what they learned so that they could apply it effectively. Guest speakers were also a key component to iLEAD, with Laura Rummel (Day 1) and Yucheng Miller adding their own insights into real-world experiences whilst connecting leadership to proactive action. 

One of the core principles YES learned was to model the way. We gained insight into how strong leaders implement equality across peers, justice for all, and empower team members. These values helped us find ways to be purposeful in the things we did. In addition to this focus, another was inspiring a shared language. We were taught quickly that people are far more likely to tend to things they believe in, something that correlates heavily with leadership and being a good listener.

Another concept critical to iLEAD was challenging the process. iLEAD heavily encouraged us not to conform to society but instead embrace differences and search for the best solutions. This bridged into challenging conformity as a group, prioritizing what truly matters, and remaining persistent. Macy Su reframed failure not as failure, but as an essential step to success. Leadership, we learned, requires you to be resilient and have the willingness to continue.

Communication skills played a key role, especially in the ideas of public speaking and elevator pitches. 90%, we discovered, of effective speaking is preparation, and this then led us to the big P’s of public speaking: pronunciation, pace, pause, punch, power, passion, and posture. Laura Rummel’s speech about “Idea to Action” reinforced the importance of taking the first step and staying invested in your goals. YES applied these lessons by making and giving elevator speeches to the helpful officers and student volunteers at iLEAD, creating resumes that are simple yet powerful, and by closing the day off with mock interviews. 

Day two, the final day, began with a hospital tour, followed by discussions on hospital administration and career paths. It also included exchanges regarding extracurricular involvement and community engagement in the context of preparing for college life. YES discovered how colleges evaluate students and why researching campuses matters. Yucheng Miller, iLEAD’s second speaker, began with an introduction to business etiquette, along with having verbal ingenuity. She helped us understand that it was essential to gain people's trust, then their respect, and finally their appreciation for your intelligence, which contributes to a more credible status.

iLEAD concluded with a graduation ceremony, marking the end of a short but empowering journey of transformative advice from many. YES closed off the program with a newfound sense of experience that shaped the minds of many and their view on true leadership, professionalism, and personal growth.