SIGMA CHI LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
THE PREMIER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.
by Sigma Chi Leadership Institute Executive Director, Jim Cogdal
March 25, 2022.
by Sigma Chi Leadership Institute Executive Director, Jim Cogdal
March 25, 2022.
TRANSFORMING FRATERNITY THROUGH LEADERSHIP
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In 1855, six men made the values-based decision to choose courage, justice and integrity over loyalty, unity and complacency. It was that choice, to leave Delta Kappa Epsilon and begin a new Fraternity, that immediately made them transformational leaders. They faced challenging circumstances that required them to embrace a bold, empowering change that would alter the future of the Greek-letter world for the better. A year later, Sigma Chi was born.
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Fast-forward more than 165 years, and the Sigma Chi International Fraternity faced a decision to evolve and transform, for the Good of its Order, and again, its values led them to a pioneering decision that would secure its future as the premier leadership development organization on college campuses.
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In 2017, the entire Greek-letter world was in peril. Four pledges across the interfraternal landscape passed away because of hazing related to alcohol consumption. As a result of these tragedies, higher education institutions across North America began questioning the credibility and value of Greek-letter organizations on their campuses. It was in this moment that leadership of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, Sigma Chi Foundation and Risk Management Foundation came together and decided to proactively change the face of leadership development through the creation of Sigma Chi Leadership Institute.
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In this moment, like Sigma Chi’s founders in 1855, decisions were made to ensure the future of Sigma Chi would follow a proactive, pioneering pathway through the continued practice of Transformational Leadership.
As the Gamma Psi Chapter of Sigma Chi prepares its return to East Lansing, it too, has the opportunity to following in these transformative footsteps. Sigma Chi Transformational Leadership is defined as the practice by which leaders inspire and empower others to innovate and create change that will positively impact the Fraternity and ultimately the world. |
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As the concept of Sigma Chi Leadership Institute became reality in the summer of 2019, not only were all Greek-letter organizations looking for differentiators to divorce their cultures from bad behavior displayed by their members, but data from Strada Consumer Insights and Gallup emerged that college graduates were missing key leadership skills needed in today’s workplace. Gallup polled more than 1,300 hiring managers with a majority saying they would prefer on-the-job leadership skills over both GPA and the reputation of their degree.
It became clear to Sigma Chi that there was an opportunity for our Fraternity to fill those leadership skill gaps in graduates. Enter Sigma Chi Leadership Institute, which was formerly charged by Past Grand Consuls Tommy Geddings and Steve Schuyler to be the lifelong value-add for Sigma Chi members in terms of personal and professional development. |
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Sigma Chi Leadership Institute Chairman Mike Greenberg and Sigma Chi Fraternity Executive Director Mike Church took that charge from their Grand Consuls and made the unique and well-researched decision to follow the pathway of institutional accreditation for Sigma Chi Leadership Institute. If achieved, accreditation would add a layer of third-party validation never before attached to Fraternity leadership development programming. Furthermore, accreditation would bring the trending benefit of certified digital badges and transferrable credit eligibility to all Sigma Chi members.
In December 2020, Sigma Chi Leadership Institute was accepted into accreditation candidacy with the Middle States Association’s Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) as a learning service provider. In the same timeframe, it also created The Transformational Leader Program for the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
In December 2020, Sigma Chi Leadership Institute was accepted into accreditation candidacy with the Middle States Association’s Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) as a learning service provider. In the same timeframe, it also created The Transformational Leader Program for the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
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The purpose behind The Transformational Leader is to feature 12 leadership competencies that have been identified as skill gaps in today’s graduates as they entire the workplace. The Transformational Leader program believes in the leadership components of Self, Others, Action and Community. One must first improve SELF, in order to lead OTHERS and cultivate ACTION within the COMMUNITY. Each leadership component would contain three transformational leadership competencies: versatility, values-based decision-making, resilience, collaboration, people management, change management, leveraging differences, mentorship, effective communication, innovation, strategic thinking and problem-solving.
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Sigma Chi Leadership Institute is creating ten (10) leadership certificates that feature these 12 leadership competencies for undergraduate Sigma Chis to engage with over their collegiate career. However, the journey of Transformational Leadership is not simply a four-year journey, it is similar to the oath we take as Sigma Chis – a lifelong commitment. As each of these leadership certificates are built out, certificates will also be offered to alumni, along with facilitator and mentoring opportunities at the international fraternity and local chapter levels.
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Here is where this vision within Sigma Chi can directly impact the Gamma Psi Chapter and build a positive and inspiring return to campus at Michigan State University.
As the Gamma Psi chapter begins its expansion quest to become a chapter again, it can do so by recruiting Transformational Leaders into its rollbook, utilizing the advantages of The Transformational Leader program to provide a differentiator between joining Sigma Chi or another fraternity.
In order to show impact in its current leadership curriculum, Sigma Chi partnered with Gallup to measure the progress of all its recent programs. The findings were validating and promising. Compared to Sigma Chi members who didn’t engage with Sigma Chi Leadership Institute programming, Sigma Chi members who completed at least one Sigma Chi Leadership Institute program were more likely to:
These undergraduate key performance indicators combined with graduate Gallup data in Sigma Chi that showed:
As the Gamma Psi chapter begins its expansion quest to become a chapter again, it can do so by recruiting Transformational Leaders into its rollbook, utilizing the advantages of The Transformational Leader program to provide a differentiator between joining Sigma Chi or another fraternity.
In order to show impact in its current leadership curriculum, Sigma Chi partnered with Gallup to measure the progress of all its recent programs. The findings were validating and promising. Compared to Sigma Chi members who didn’t engage with Sigma Chi Leadership Institute programming, Sigma Chi members who completed at least one Sigma Chi Leadership Institute program were more likely to:
- Become Consul, Pro Consul or Magister in their chapter;
- Become an elected leader in Student Government;
- Become a leader in their university Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC);
- Become a donor to their local chapter;
- Become a mentor to future Sigma Chis.
These undergraduate key performance indicators combined with graduate Gallup data in Sigma Chi that showed:
- 62 percent of members agreed Sigma Chi Leadership Institute programming led to a promotion;
- 59 percent of members agreed Sigma Chi Leadership Institute programming led to an increase in salary or compensation;
- And 70 percent attributed Sigma Chi Leadership Institute programming to job growth and an increase in responsibility in their workplace.
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These impact metrics can be used to recruit the future Sigma Chi Transformational Leaders in Gamma Psi and beyond. This fall, Sigma Chi will launch a massive marketing campaign that focuses on transforming our chapters the same way our Founders did back in 1855.
Beginning with pledgeship, all members will be offered free enrollment into seven of the 10 leadership certificates within The Transformational Leader Program, beginning with the Foundational Leadership Certificate, which includes pledgeship and new initiate education through the Preparation for Brotherhood and Ritual for Life programs, respectively. |
Each summer, at least three leadership certificates will be featured at the annual Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop – this year it will be the Authentic, Values-Based and Servant Leadership Certificates. The Horizons program will annually feature the Enduring Leadership Certificate focused on readying Sigma Chi members for change management and effective communication within high-performing teams.
Sigma Chi Leadership Institute also offers members a completely digital certificate in Distance Leadership. Created during the global pandemic, the Distance Leadership focuses on leading remote teams and communicating effectively in an online environment – which is becoming a staple of many workplaces in today’s generation. |
All of these leadership certificates deploy the 12 leadership competencies needed to be a Transformational Leader in today’s world. Gamma Psi will be offered all of these opportunities for their members to continuously improve their leadership potential.
Gamma Psi alumni will also be needed to make this vision operational. Sigma Chi and Sigma Chi Leadership Institute will need certified faculty to teach transformational leadership curriculum at the chapter and international levels, while also having local volunteer advisors informed on the changes happening within the Fraternity, such as the new pledge experience within the Foundational Leadership Certificate.
Through the Sigma Chi Facilitator Academy and through the new Sigma Chi Advisor Academy, facilitators and advisors will be trained to be transformational mentors and teachers for Sigma Chi undergraduates. Through this process, alumni will also be able to someday earn digital badges and continuing education units to add to their lifelong pursuit of learning and professional development.
It is clear and unmistakable – today’s Sigma Chi experience is different than decades past. It needs to be so it can positively secure our future as a Fraternity and as a campus partner with our host institutions.
Gamma Psi alumni will also be needed to make this vision operational. Sigma Chi and Sigma Chi Leadership Institute will need certified faculty to teach transformational leadership curriculum at the chapter and international levels, while also having local volunteer advisors informed on the changes happening within the Fraternity, such as the new pledge experience within the Foundational Leadership Certificate.
Through the Sigma Chi Facilitator Academy and through the new Sigma Chi Advisor Academy, facilitators and advisors will be trained to be transformational mentors and teachers for Sigma Chi undergraduates. Through this process, alumni will also be able to someday earn digital badges and continuing education units to add to their lifelong pursuit of learning and professional development.
It is clear and unmistakable – today’s Sigma Chi experience is different than decades past. It needs to be so it can positively secure our future as a Fraternity and as a campus partner with our host institutions.
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Our goal through this transformational vision is to develop better chapters. Better brothers. Better bosses. Better fathers. Better significant others. And by doing so, we are developing better communities and making the world a little better, too.
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This is Sigma Chi’s transformational vision. We offer you the ability join us in this journey to not only enhance your own leadership capabilities, but to someday impact others, just as our Founders did when they made the courageous choice to be different, starting with just six men and resulting in more than 350,000 initiates more than a century later. That, brothers, is transformational.
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