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Hilltop Happenings

Erdmann Future Leaders Program
Tabitha Brewer
Erdmann Future Leaders

Over the past few years, Salisbury has been in discussions with Jeff Erdmann ’81 with the goal of creating a branded signature leadership program grounded in humility, authenticity, empathy, and awareness that will be a core component of a Salisbury education.  This program will include three phases: Faculty professional development, a signature leadership curriculum for students, and a summer student leadership program on campus. Salisbury is partnering with the Gardner Carney Leadership Institute (gcLi) to create and develop this initiative.

Jeff views lack of leadership as one of the biggest voids in society today. “We can all be better leaders, whether we are parents, coaches, teachers, students, executives, politicians, or world leaders.”  The Erdmann Future Leaders Program will give Salisbury students the tools they need to develop into future leaders and thoughtful men of character. Students will learn leadership skills through a multiyear curriculum that involves both on and off campus components.

Erdmann Leaders on Campus

Over the summer of 2023, four Salisbury faculty members attended the gcLi Leadership Lab in Colorado Springs, CO. The gcLi Leadership Lab helps educators develop the ability to identify, utilize, and create teachable moments to transform individuals, classrooms, sports teams and whole schools by presenting a foundation in developmental psychology and brain science. Each year, as part of the Erdmann Future Leaders program, four faculty members will experience this intensive leadership training curriculum.

Just prior to the start of the school year, the faculty came together as part of the first phase of the program with a goal of developing three essential aptitudes: an intellectual grasp of students’ social lives, an assessment of one’s own predisposition, and a personal framework to help oneself more deliberately promote, elicit, and recognize student leadership on a daily basis. Four sessions focused on Self-Aware Leadership, Humble Leadership, Courageous Leadership, and Servant Leadership.  

With the faculty professional development program well underway, we will begin to develop the student component over the next several months, ensuring that the curriculum aligns with the values, mission, structure, and function of Salisbury.

We extend our deepest thanks to Jeff Erdmann for his vision, partnership, and love of Salisbury.

GCLI Working definition of Leadership:“Leadership entails being aware of whatever is happening around you and choosing behaviors, from a place of empathy and courage, that help your group to achieve its goals.”