My 2nd year teaching "Leadership English" for Global Leadership Studies

Last year's 2011 GLS program was an excellent experience (link), and I was very excited about doing the 2012 program.

Here's the website for this year: http://subsite.icu.ac.jp/gls/

This year was equally good, and perhaps even better in some ways.

First, I want to congratulate the fellows for their dedication and final performance on the group project presentations. It was a pleasure working together with these experienced Japanese business professionals and non-Japanese graduate students to help them present their ideas for reinvigorating a simulated Japanese company by initiating various global expansion projects.

As with last year, the GLS Leadership English module was focused on activating the ability to communicate persuasively regarding critical issues in English. We did discussions, debates, negotiations, and presentations at a pace of about 7 hours per week. It seemed like the participants enjoyed and benefited from the training that we provided.

The two most interesting sessions were when the participants made short speeches and led Q&A regarding the topics:

1) (Week 1) What is one thing you want to change or improve in your current company or department?

and

2) (Week 3) What is the most valuable idea that you picked up from the various lectures, coaching sessions and English sessions?

The ideas such as the need for more global, entrepreneurial initiative in their companies, or the need to reduce the fear of failure and increase the amount of frank opinion exchanges between team members or with superiors was very impressive.

In addition, the improvement from Week 1 to Week 3 in terms of
1) English communication ability,
2) confidence in presenting and supporting ideas, and
3) self-awareness of own strengths and weaknesses and needs for continuing effort in weak areas
was tangible and a encouraging result of the efforts that they had made in the 3 week live-in immersion program.

I wish I had taken videos of the Week 1 and Week 3 speeches so that the participants could see their progress. I will recommend that for next year along with the possibility of creating an online file of comments and feedback for each person, filled in by coaches, English instructors, the person himself or herself as well as peers.

Once again, it was a pleasure everyone!