Forging Future Leaders: How a chance encounter led to a new Leadership in STEM course

In the digital age, serendipitous encounters often unfold through the taps and clicks of social media platforms. Such was the case when Azadeh Yazdan, associate professor in UW Bioengineering, learned of a LinkedIn comment by Kathy Leach, Ph.D., a former UW BioE postdoc research associate, who was looking to help with a networking program called Coffee Chats that Azadeh was leading. Little did they know that this virtual connection would blossom into a dynamic collaboration, birthing a new BioE course titled “Leadership in STEM.” As they bridged the digital gap to blend their expertise, Yazdan and Leach embarked on a journey to cultivate the next generation of STEM leaders, using their shared vision and passion for leadership.

The two-credit course was taught by Leach and Yazdan over winter quarter 2024. The purpose of the course was to introduce Bioengineering students to leadership skills to propel them forward in their careers and lives. The course was a mix of lecture and group discussions, supplemented with small group exercises where students practiced the skills introduced in the lecture. It was held one day each week.

Some of the course topics included leadership styles and situational leadership, being an authentic leader, effective communication, delivering and receiving feedback, and building trust and earning respect.

Leach and Yazdan took time to answer questions about the course.

What goals did you aim to achieve through the course, both in terms of skill development and broader student outcomes?

Leach: I think one of the things that both of us felt very strongly about is making sure that the students learned that leadership isn’t about the title or something that you’re born with but is something that you can learn and develop by learning individual skills and putting them together to use when appropriate. It’s just a set of skills that can be worked on.

Yazdan: We were using the metaphor of a toolbox for leadership. Each concept was an additional tool that’s added to the toolbox and that, depending on the situation, students would be able to use. One thing that came up a couple of times from the students is that leadership skills are like human skills.

Leadership isn’t about the title or something that you’re born with but is something that you can learn and develop by learning individual skills and putting them together to use when appropriate. It’s just a set of skills that can be worked on. – Kathy Leach

 What strategies did you use to cultivate leadership skills among students within the context of STEM disciplines?

Yazdan: I brought some improv skills and games to the classes. The students were required to stand in front of the class to play a leader in some shape or form. In evaluation forms some students said these exercises helped them practice their leadership skills. Then to bring it to the next level for their final project they had to lead and facilitate a discussion on a leadership topic designed for full facilitation. Each group led a discussion on a topic which was often followed by a game or group activity designed by the group to reinforce the topic. The final project was a fun way for us to evaluate them and for them to showcase the skills they learned.

Leach: I tried to bring in some of the science or data statistics on leadership topics. There has been a lot of research on the benefits of good leadership, and STEM students are familiar with data. We also shared a lot of stories and examples from our personal and professional lives having come from the STEM fields. Since leadership skills are human skills, it goes across whatever you’re leading, whether in a STEM field or at home.

Yazdan: What enriched the content of the course as it was related to STEM was the complementary experiences Kathy and I had in industry and academia. For example, when we discussed diversity, equity and inclusion issues, we brought in concepts and examples from biomedical design emphasizing how having diverse teams would lead to products that would be useful for all populations not just a specific category of people.

The course syllabus included a section on giving and receiving feedback and delivering difficult messages. How did you structure that and were there other practical exercises or real-world examples you included in the curriculum?

Yazdan: The way we framed it was the importance of communication and then offered tools for effective communication. Then we put it in context of giving and receiving feedback because we thought that is one of the most difficult forms of communication. This skill can be applied to easier conversations. We also brought in some neuroscience and how our brains react when we are receiving or giving feedback. We talked about the concept of amygdala hijack where your reptilian brain takes over whenever there’s a sense of threat. That threat can be a threat to your social status, for example, or a threat to your job. The awareness about amygdala hijack can be a tool to help people have more effective communication during the process of giving and receiving feedback.

Leach: In all of our lectures there were always practice exercises or games that we played. Azadeh has a lot of improv experience and she brought that to the class too. Practice during the class helped solidify the learning for the various skills.

The homework we assigned asked the students to describe an example from your life where you had to communicate a difficult message – What did that feel like? How did you do? Would you do it differently next time? And we asked them to practice giving feedback to someone they knew during that week – Describe the scenario. How did it go? How was it received?

Yazdan: We respected the students’ privacy, so they only had to share specifics about their scenario if they felt comfortable discussing it. We asked them to reflect on their experiences and tell us how the tools they learned in class were useful in that scenario.

Leadership is like learning a new language or it’s like learning to play basketball. If I tell you how to play basketball, you’re not going to learn how to do it unless you go and practice. They have to use these tools and apply them to their daily lives.  – Azadeh Yazdan

What feedback did you receive from students about the course?

Yazdan: We had a day in the class that was devoted to asking questions and receiving feedback. There was a lot of content we wanted to cover that we didn’t have time to cover. So, during the first half of the class, which we called “Ask the Professor,” we had an open Q & A with the students. The other half was devoted to them sharing feedback. This was a fun exercise as both of us and the students got to practice the give and receive feedback content of the class.

One of the feedback items we received was they wanted more content. Some suggested we either increase the credits from 2 credits to 3 credits or have a follow-up course.

In what ways do you believe this course contributes to the overall educational experience and future career prospects of BioE students?

Leach: I wish that I had been taught about this (leadership skills) earlier in my career and had been exposed to the wealth of information that’s free and available. Getting that knowledge to young people early in their careers is helpful and prepares them for the future.

Yazdan: We were not teaching the students a particular leadership style. We gave them the tools to choose the leadership style they want to use. We had examples for them to choose what style they would use depending on the situation. Leadership is like learning a new language or it’s like learning to play basketball. If I tell you how to play basketball, you’re not going to learn how to do it unless you go and practice. You have to practice it constantly. They have to use these tools and apply them to their daily lives. We hope that we are planting seeds for them.

One of the reasons for me to develop this course is I thought if we want to change the world, we need to better educate leaders and send them out there so they can change the world. – Azadeh Yazdan

Anything else you’d like to share?

Yazdan: One of the really fun things about the class was the combination of lecture and games. We had 25% of the grade based on participation. I really enjoyed the discussions we’ve had with the students – hearing their viewpoints, challenges and experiences. The level of engagement and insight we saw in the class was really rewarding.

One of the reasons for me to develop this course is I thought if we want to change the world, we need to better educate leaders and send them out there so they can change the world.