With only a few logistical complications, GLI 2018 arrived on Saturday at the Indianapolis International Airport and were greeted by Chris, Madison, and a banner welcoming them back to Indiana.
The participants spent Sunday morning in an orientation designed to familiarize them with the fast-paced 2018 program and spent the afternoon in tech sessions which facilitated a smooth transition to IU systems and technology provided by the program. The same evening, the students participated in a welcome dinner, prefaced by a short speech from the Kelley School’s Executive Associate Dean of Faculty and Research, Laureen Maines.
All of the students are outstanding alumni from previous iterations and therefore well acquainted with Bloomington, Kelley culture, and IIB expectations. Given their experience and prior education, this summer’s participants have been met with high expectations from faculty and coaches.
Everyone worked with Ray Luther and Rebecca Cook to break down and understand their Keirsey personality results, which are designed to promote functional self-awareness and improve personally as well as team performance.
After discussing their personality types as a class, teams broke off to quickly design poster presentations which capture and explain how they function in a team.
The same night, after a full day of classes, the students had an hour and a half to race around IU’s campus while completing an 18-clue scavenger hunt. Participants used this opportunity to further bond with their team, work on group collaboration, and familiarize themselves with IU’s beautiful campus. The winning team received 4 coveted tickets to the African American History Museum in Washington, D.C.
Throughout the course of the next several days, the students were challenged through improvisation exercises, competitive team-building, and learning to concisely share their life story and experiences. Guided by talented faculty and mentors such as Fred Schlegel, Katie Metz, Susan Loucks, Carolyn Goerner, and Victor Bongard, the students have been challenged to think outside of the box while tackling complex cases and business dilemmas.
This summer’s curriculum heavily emphasizes collaboration and communication and is designed to help accomplished entrepreneurs better harness their potential by fine-tuning their approach to business and people.
As returning students, all of the participants have experienced their own unique successes and failures at home, and they have already been able to glean valuable lessons from peers and teachers alike. As they continue to work together in supportive yet high-pressure environments, they will be able to further capitalize on unique individual and team strengths.
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