Leadership Resources

Student leadership development at Baylor seeks to embolden students towards cultivating the dispositions and practices necessary to faithfully and authentically lead for the common good.

The links on this page lead to avenues for students to pursue further personal leadership development and resources to acquire support in offering developmental opportunities for organizations or campus peers.

Leadership Learning

Students who wish to increase investment in their personal development and leadership commitments may find self-guided learning beginning with some resources on this page helpful.

This page is continually updated with new materials, so please check back frequently! For additional advising or further discussion on special topics in leadership, please reach out to leadership@baylor.edu

Unless specifically noted, the resources on this page are not affiliated with nor endorsed by the Division of Student Life at Baylor University. Rather, this page serves as an entry point for students to begin exploring additional resources for leadership development and personal exploration.

BOOKS:

Jesus and John Wayne – Kristen Kobes Du Mez
Life Worth Living – Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, & Ryan McAnally-Linz
Overrated: Are We More in Love with the Idea of Changing the World than Actually Changing the World? - Eugene Cho
Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times – Soong Chan-Rah
The Gravity of Joy – Angela Williams Gorrell
The Making of Biblical Womanhood – Beth Allison Barr
You are What You Love – James K.A. Smith

MEDIA:

PERSONAL ASSESSMENTS:

Students have the opportunity to take personal development assessments through various departments and resource centers at Baylor. Examples include Clifton Strengths Assessment, Enneagram, and the DISC Behavior Assessment. If you are interested in receiving training or taking an assessment, or identifying an assessment that is not currently offered at Baylor, please reach out to leadership@baylor.edu to get connected to the correct source!

Professional Organizations and Conferences

Professional organizations and conferences are excellent avenues to explore leadership within collaborative communities with shared interests. We encourage students who wish to invest in further personal development or commitment to investigate events or organizations that can offer the support, skill-building, and leadership communities that the organizations on this page represent.

ACSD | Association for Christians in Student Development

ACSD is committed to assisting student affairs professionals or those with an interest in student development to stay current and relevant in the quickly changing climate of Christian Higher education. Through online resources, publications, webinars, community retreats and annual conferences, this community equips professionals to connect, exchange ideas, and encourage one another in the word of student development.

ACSD | Student Government Summit

The Student Government Summit brings together outgoing and newly-elected student body presidents, vice presidents, and student government advisors, to provide a substantive opportunity to engage in transition planning and to gather with other leaders, share resources, learn from each other, and hear from experts on best practices in influencing their campuses well. Participants are equipped according to three key themes: leading as a Christian in a pluralistic world, leadership in times of conflict and change, and the project of reconciliation.

ACUHO-I | Association of College and University Housing Officers

BLS | Baylor Leadership Summit

Hosted on Baylor’s campus, the annual Baylor Leadership Summit prepares students from around the region to engage culture while leading in an ever-changing world. Teaching, round-table discussions, and presentation opportunities provide space for students to think critically about their leadership, enhance their cross-cultural competency, and learn about creating building meaningful relationships that foster collaboration.

BSL | Black Students Lead Conference

BSL helps students become stronger leaders and allies to the Black community by providing teaching and shared learning experience to empower them to practice inclusion in their organizations and campuses. Sessions are focused on creating a more accepting, equitable environment, and preparing students to work effectively in a diverse society. A key component of this conference is a guided facilitation workshop for developing a campus action plan to promote the overall wellbeing of students' home communities.

CSLC | Christian Student Leadership Collective

The CSLC is a free virtual conference offered each Fall semester to connect college student leaders to one another to share ideas and be encouraged by one another as well as some incredible speakers. Students will experience the value of networking with colleagues from around the world, share practical ideas on how they are impacting their campuses for Christ through their respective roles, and feel inspired and motivated to continue being effective leaders both on campus and in future roles beyond graduation. Attendees can register individually or as group participants.

ILA | International Leadership Association

The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals with a. keen interest in the study, practice, and teaching of leadership. Today, ILA is the largest worldwide community committed to leadership scholarship, development, and practice. ILA’s vision is Leadership for the collective good of people and planet and strives to connect people worldwide to advance the practice and study of leadership for a just and thriving future.

Student members gain access to a global community of members providing opportunities for networking, collaboration, and research and become eligible to showcase skills and research through participation in the International Student Case Competition.

LLC | Latinx Leads Student Leadership Conference

Latinx Leads advances the leadership development and knowledge-base of Latinx students, advisors, and allies by providing resources, teaching, and community building to contribute toward skills needed to facilitate positive social action in their respective campuses. As part of this conference, students and advisors co-develop un plan de accion (action plan) with attendees from other colleges and universities for implementing initiatives or programs to promote the overall wellbeing of the Latinx community.

Leadershape

Leadershape creates transformational leadership development experiences with a focus on creating a more just, caring, and thriving world. Students may register as members to join a vast community of participants or explore participation options in several premier leadership development programs to develop a stronger sense of self as a leader, a passion to make a difference in the community, and a willingness to engage more intentionally within organizations.

Leadershape Institute

This 4-day immersive experience engages participants in a transformative experience and inspires them to create a just, caring, and thriving world. Through intentional instruction and challenge, participants have time to explore their personal values in the context of community.

NASPA | Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

NASPA is the professional home for the field of student affairs – dedicated to fulfilling the promise of higher education through the guiding principles of Integrity, Innovation, Inclusion, and Inquiry. NASPA strives to serve the diverse needs of all involved in higher education communities, from vice presidents to undergraduate student leaders first considering a career in the field. NASPA cultivates student success in collaboration with the missions of institutional members, a network of colleges and universities representing every sector of education.

A great learning and networking opportunity for those interested in a career in student affairs, student members of NASPA enable themselves to gain skills, knowledge, and experience outside the classroom, make important connections with professionals in their regions, and get access to key resources to help build the career they want.

NSLDC | National Student Leadership Diversity Convention

NSLDC is a national gathering of student leaders and campus-based advisors designed to address the most critical topics of diversity and social justice prevalent on campuses throughout the country. Through experiential workshops, keynote sessions, and roundtable discussions, teams of students will explore various elements of diversity and how themselves, their campuses, and the world is implicated or affected by their actions as emerging leaders. NSLDC hosts conferences in person and virtually on an annual basis.

SBLC | Southwestern Black Student Leadership Conference

Hosted at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX each January, the SBLC unites hundreds of students, advisors, international speakers, and businesses “to inspire young black collegians to be productive leaders of tomorrow”. This conference presents a number of creative workshops with a focus on developing strong leadership skills and solutions to major issues while bringing about a spirit of unity among students and leaders at all levels of participation.