What went well?
This week moved much faster than I anticipated. Following our initial plan, I began researching content for the first module and started drafting both the in-person session outline and facilitator notes. I managed to complete an initial outline for Week 1, but I quickly realized I needed more clarification and regular check-ins with the team to fully understand how to make the facilitator notes clear and usable. While I’ve planned and facilitated workshops myself before, I’ve never had to design sessions that would be delivered by someone else. Learning how to write in a way that is both structured and easy for another facilitator to follow has been a valuable new skill.
What could have been done differently?
I soon recognized that developing a single, polished version of each session outline and facilitator note in one go wouldn’t be realistic. To incorporate my ideas, research, and ILead’s requirements effectively, each module would need several iterations. I also realized that working linearly—finishing all materials for Week 1 before moving to Week 2—wasn’t efficient. After discussing this with my team, we pivoted to first creating draft outlines and facilitator notes for all weeks. Once we’ve gone through at least three rounds of iteration on those, we’ll move on to presentation materials, pre-work, and post-work. This new approach allows us to refine the overall structure before getting into detailed content creation, making the process far more efficient.
What did I learn about myself when working with others?
I learned that I really crave structure. Without a clear plan, I tend to get stuck in endless spirals of overthinking, which isn’t productive—especially with just six weeks to design and launch a leadership program. To stay grounded, I sat down and wrote out my personal goals for this program and mapped out how I intend to achieve them. Conversations with my team also helped me restructure my workflow in a way that balances my internship with program development. This experience reminded me that wearing multiple hats is only possible with strong planning and a supportive team. I’m truly grateful for the flexibility and guidance they’ve provided.
What did I learn about leadership?
While planning the five-week outline, I realized that leadership is both widely discussed and deeply misunderstood. Many programs emphasize leadership “skills” but overlook the ethical foundation that should underpin them. Our program aims to center ethical leadership, but I also recognized a challenge: for students to sign up, the course must highlight more “marketable” leadership skills they can relate to, and then gradually introduce the deeper, values-based aspects of leadership. It’s disheartening that in engineering, leadership is often dismissed as a “soft skill,” and ethical leadership is rarely even considered. Changing that perception feels like an important mission.
What do I want to develop or focus on next?
Right now, I’m refining the facilitator notes and developing an effective tool—an inventory or tracker—that will help participants monitor their growth and reflect throughout the program. Since engineers often undervalue non-quantifiable outcomes, it will be a challenge to design a reflection process that feels meaningful and engaging to them. Finding creative ways to encourage self-awareness and reflection will be my next major focus.