Leadership
Business Badgers are trusted to lead
Leadership isn’t just something you study at Wisconsin. It’s something you do. Unique experiences and a one-of-a-kind leadership lab will set you apart and prepare you to lead with confidence, purpose, and empathy.
See business leaders in action
Go on a career trek to Chicago, like Wisconsin undergraduate real estate students, and be exposed to big name employers, explore career paths, and make connections.
Develop your leadership playbook
See what it’s like to travel to Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers, for Leadership at Lambeau, an immersive leadership retreat.
Mindsets of Wisconsin’s trusted leaders
Leadership is more than a skill set, it’s values that endure and help you succeed your entire career. Through distinctive leadership experiences, you’ll begin to embody the mindsets that define Business Badgers and become the leader everyone counts on.
Entrepreneurial
You see opportunity from every angle and turn ideas into action.
Skills gained: Adaptability, ambiguity tolerance, strategic thinking, creative problem solving
Inclusive
You value different perspectives and help others succeed.
Skills gained: Collaboration, inclusiveness, communication, influence
Resilient
You adapt to uncertainty, stay steady in complexity, and find creative solutions.
Skills gained: Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, adaptability, ambiguity tolerance
Creating positive change
“I love hard problems, but I don’t like leaving them unsolved. Together, we can find the right answers, sift through the possibilities, and do the right thing.”
Danielle Tiedt (BBA ’96)
Chief Marketing Officer, YouTube
San Francisco
A hub focused on your leadership development
Leadership and Engagement Center
Become a leader in business through the center’s exclusive experiences and training, including the Leadership Lab.
Business Badgers develop and practice leadership skills and values through workshops, case competitions, conferences, and more.
The center is also a place for connection and community, where student organization meetings are held and org leaders and staff frequently collaborate.
Leadership Lab: A launchpad to achieving your goals
Build the skills and confidence needed to pursue bold ideas and lead in any role. Complete the three co-curricular Leadership Lab requirements—Mindsets in Motion, experiential learning opportunities, and a coaching session—and earn a graduation stole.
Leadership Mindsets in Motion
Attend six interactive sessions designed to help you develop your leadership style and strengthen the skills trusted leaders need to succeed. As part of a cohort, you’ll build community, learn from shared experiences, and explore the entrepreneurial, inclusive, and resilient mindsets.
Sessions include:
Ignite the Spark: Resilience in Business
Build a common leadership language and begin expanding your comfort zone.
Fail Forward: Accelerate Success
Explore the role vulnerability and failure play in personal and professional growth.
Empathy in Action: Leadership Powered by Conviction
Learn inclusive leadership strategies and how to make effective and equitable decisions.
Be challenged to think quickly, embrace discomfort, and consider the impact of your decisions.
Building Your Brand: Gaining Perspective
Fine-tune your leadership brand.
Leading With Purpose: Values-Driven Leadership
Develop a plan for your leadership growth through peer coaching.
Experiential leadership opportunities
Participate in at least four experiential learning opportunities offered by the Wisconsin School of Business or other schools and departments on campus. Experiences include case competitions, study abroad programs, advisory boards, leadership events, career treks, and more to expand your skills and network.
- The WSB Leadership and Engagement Center offers at least four opportunities each year:
- Leadership Showdowns: Analyze and debate business practices
- P&G Case Competition: Solve a business challenge
- Leadership Case Competition: Solve a business challenge and get feedback from business professionals
- Values to Action: Leading Organizational Change: Connect with an employer and create a plan for implementing a meaningful change
Leadership coaching session
Meet with a leadership program manager to reflect on your leadership experiences, identify your strengths, and practice communicating your skills with confidence. Your coaching session can help you strengthen your résumé and feel more prepared and confident during interviews with potential employers.
This occurs after you complete the required six sessions and four experiential leadership opportunities.
Leadership Mindsets in Motion
Attend six interactive sessions designed to help you develop your leadership style and strengthen the skills trusted leaders need to succeed. As part of a cohort, you’ll build community, learn from shared experiences, and explore the entrepreneurial, inclusive, and resilient mindsets.
Sessions include:
Ignite the Spark: Resilience in Business
Build a common leadership language and begin expanding your comfort zone.
Fail Forward: Accelerate Success
Explore the role vulnerability and failure play in personal and professional growth.
Empathy in Action: Leadership Powered by Conviction
Learn inclusive leadership strategies and how to make effective and equitable decisions.
Be challenged to think quickly, embrace discomfort, and consider the impact of your decisions.
Building Your Brand: Gaining Perspective
Fine-tune your leadership brand.
Leading With Purpose: Values-Driven Leadership
Develop a plan for your leadership growth through peer coaching.
Experiential leadership opportunities
Participate in at least four experiential learning opportunities offered by the Wisconsin School of Business or other schools and departments on campus. Experiences include case competitions, study abroad programs, advisory boards, leadership events, career treks, and more to expand your skills and network.
- The WSB Leadership and Engagement Center offers at least four opportunities each year:
- Leadership Showdowns: Analyze and debate business practices
- P&G Case Competition: Solve a business challenge
- Leadership Case Competition: Solve a business challenge and get feedback from business professionals
- Values to Action: Leading Organizational Change: Connect with an employer and create a plan for implementing a meaningful change
Leadership coaching session
Meet with a leadership program manager to reflect on your leadership experiences, identify your strengths, and practice communicating your skills with confidence. Your coaching session can help you strengthen your résumé and feel more prepared and confident during interviews with potential employers.
This occurs after you complete the required six sessions and four experiential leadership opportunities.
Elevate your leadership through signature experiences
Leadership at Lambeau
Participate in a three-day immersive leadership retreat at Lambeau Field and work on leadership skills that will prepare you for a career at a major organization. Hear from various leaders within the Green Bay Packers organization, participate in small group discussions, and go behind the scenes at Lambeau.
This event is held annually in May. Participation is capped at 60 students. Applications open in October. Students who complete the Leadership Lab gain priority access to this signature experience.
Applications open mid-October.
Student Organization Leadership Summit
A conference-style event designed for student organization leaders to build the confidence and skills needed to lead effectively. The summit features networking opportunities, faculty and industry keynote speakers, and interactive sessions focused on inclusive decision‑making, entrepreneurial thinking, and building your leadership legacy.
This event is held annually in August. Participation is limited to leaders of Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate student organizations.
Using data to tell the story
“My passion is building and growing businesses. My work in finance has a purpose-driven focus. I want to inspire millions by leading a new era of digital media.”
Cynthia Chu (BBA ’99)
CFO and Growth Officer, Audible
New York City Area
Join a student organization—then lead it.
There is something for everyone. With over 70 business-related student organizations and hundreds more on campus, you’ll find an org that matches your interests.
Find your people
“Being involved is so important. It’s not only how you learn and network, but also how you meet your people. Student orgs are a great way to meet new friends and learn about specific jobs and industries. There is really a club or student org for everyone.”
Enhance your experience
“I told this to pre-business students and direct admit students alike: Once you’re on campus, get involved, join clubs—it is the best way to supplement your college experience.”
Grow your confidence
“The leadership programming gave me the tools to navigate difficult situations with confidence and taught me how to manage teams effectively, which sparked a genuine desire to mentor and teach others what I’ve learned. That growth has given me the confidence to take on leadership positions within the school.”
Get involved
Join upcoming events
Find opportunities that match your interests and fit your schedule.
Contact us
Email the Leadership and Engagement Center at leadershipprograms@wsb.wisc.edu.
Visit us
Come see us in the Leadership and Engagement Center.
3295 Grainger Hall
9 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Thursday