Ghana program graduates 22 future leaders

By Kevin Manne

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Twenty-two new graduates are equipped with the leadership skills to take their careers to the next level after completing the Leadership Empowerment Academy Program (LEAP), a global collaboration between the University of Cape Coast and the University at Buffalo School of Management’s Center for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (CLOE).

The socially-distanced graduation ceremony took place at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, Africa, on July 10. Representatives from UB attended virtually via video conference, including Paul Tesluk, dean of the UB School of Management, who shared graduation remarks. 

“This pandemic has brought about many challenges, but it has also brought about optimism, ingenuity, empathy, love and support,” says Tesluk. “It has also highlighted the importance of leadership—and completing this program amid such challenges is something that will to contribute to the growth and development of these graduates for the rest of their lives.” 

LEAP is a yearlong program that teaches graduate students in the University of Cape Coast about analytical thinking, self-reflection, creative problem-solving and interpersonal relationships, giving them a competitive advantage in the job market. This was the program’s third cohort of students, with 70 graduates in total. The next program begins Aug. 7.

Throughout the year, students participate in four in-person sessions, typically with three in Ghana and one in Buffalo, but that session was made virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants also have the opportunity to attend CLOE’s annual leadership conference.

LEAP is part of a growing portfolio of global programs available from the UB School of Management, including a slate of virtual global learning experiences scheduled for this fall. For more information, visit mgt.buffalo.edu/globalprograms. 

Launched in fall 2013, CLOE strives to create more effective leaders and organizations. One of the center’s key objectives is to advance research and teaching in the area of leadership and its impact on organizational effectiveness. It also supports UB 2020’s goals of accelerating academic excellence, translating scholarship and developing leadership capabilities in UB students and business leaders.