Institute for Transformative Leadership spreads its message and footprint

By Sophie Tran

An undergraduate who teaches 5-year-olds to swim. A student affairs official who faces conflict in a meeting. An experienced dean who confronts institutional complexities. Among the three, do you see the connection?

Leadership – embracing it, understanding it, practicing it – is defined not by title or hierarchy but by action and real-time experience. That philosophy is at the core of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Institute for Transformative Leadership, which marks its third anniversary this year and whose work is becoming further embedded in VCU’s practical and academic settings.

Christopher S. Reina, Ph.D., established the ITL as something more than a standard leadership program. He sees it facilitating a shared language that connects VCU faculty, staff and students. Its emphasis on cohorts of participants who focus on applied learning turns leadership into real-time, practical experiences rather than abstract theory.

“We’re not trying to create another leadership program people forget after a week. We’re about changing how leadership actually shows up – every day, in real moments, with real people,” said Reina, a professor of management and entrepreneurship in VCU’s School of Business, which houses the ITL. “We’ve worked with hundreds of participants ... to create safe, supportive environments where people can come together, learn from one another and build meaningful connections across VCU.”

The ITL offers a student cohort through the Office of Student Leadership and Engaged Learning, and for Andrew Vo, it changed  how he thinks about leadership.

“ITL has really challenged my perspective on how to navigate everyday life and be mindful of what you can and can’t control,” said Vo, a rising senior in the School of Nursing.

For instance, as a swim instructor to 5-year-olds, he realized he had to be willing to cooperate, not just command.

“If I were to be more controlling – giving them a timeout for throwing a fit at me, forcing them to do things they don’t want to since their parents want them to – it punishes them in ways that aren’t conducive to them learning, enjoying the water, or feeling like they can just be themselves.” Vo said.

Beyond reshaping perspectives on leadership, the ITL’s cohort model helps participants navigate conflict, communication and team dynamics.

When Marci Logsdon joined the Division of Student Affairs as assistant director of student leadership, she was new to a leadership position. She was also averse to conflict, she said during a panel at the ITL’s spring summit.

“I recently had an experience where I was in a team meeting ... and we were just kind of spinning on something, and I was reaching a point of impatience. I decided that I was going to confront this person.” Logsdon said.

Instead of letting impatience direct her approach, she focused on the substance of her concerns and engaged her colleagues on professional, not personal, terms. In overcoming the discomfort, Logsdon handled the conflict well, based on feedback she received.

Logsdon and Vo have both gone on to lead subsequent cohorts at the ITL — showing how the program inspires and develops leaders at all levels who then go on to give back and inspire others. This helps spread transformative leadership throughout VCU, Reina said. 

A milestone for the ITL has been integrating transformative leadership into the curriculum at the School of Business, including as a central component of the Executive MBA program, and this fall, the integration deepens as the school launches a three-credit undergraduate course in transformative leadership.

That’s an important development, according to Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., VCU’s executive vice president and provost, because leadership can’t be a top-down process – it needs to empower and inspire leaders at all levels.

“Developing and supporting our next generation of university leaders and empowering them to lead organizational priorities is so vital,” Saavedra said. “The Institute for Transformative Leadership is helping equip our leaders with the tools they need to drive change in support of our students and the entire university community.”

Even experienced leaders are benefiting from the ITL’s training. Monica H. Swahn, Ph.D., dean of the School of Public Health, said the dean leadership cohort provided an opportunity to reflect and connect with colleagues across VCU.

“Being able to talk through those issues with colleagues, hear how they are approaching similar challenges and reflect together on what is working strengthened my own leadership. It reminded me that even when our roles are different, we do not have to navigate complex institutional change in isolation,” Swahn said.

For Reina, the ITL’s potential to shape the practice of leadership – whether by students, young staff or experienced faculty – is an opportunity to shape VCU itself. Building on the Truly Human Leadership approach forged by Barry-Wehmiller Cos. and its late CEO, Bob Chapman, Reina sees the ITL as a recipe for success.

“Our ‘secret sauce’ is actually pretty simple,” Reina said. “Mindfulness, care and accountability – those three ingredients, when practiced consistently, give us everything we need to lead effectively, build strong relationships and create cultures where people thrive.”