A Night Of Leadership For Carnegie Mellon Student-Athletes

Mar. 18 - (PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – Carnegie Mellon University’s emerging student-athlete leaders had a chance to spend some time with a national hero on Thursday, March 17, as Lt. Col. Joseph Grant met with a select group of sophomores as part of the athletics department’s Leadership Symposium. Lt. Col. Grant is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served three tours of combat duty prior to becoming commanding officer of Carnegie Mellon’s Naval ROTC program.

Lt. Col. Grant discussed the qualities he finds inherent in leadership – integrity, stewardship, loyalty and setting a consistent example. Grant, whose personal decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon, expressed the importance of knowing one’s teammates.

"If you want to be a great leader, you need loyalty up and down the chain of command," Grant said. "You have to lead by example. Don't ask anyone to do anything you won't do yourself."

Following Grant's presentation, Carnegie Mellon upperclassmen shared some of their own thoughts on leadership with the group.

"One of the most important things you can do as an upperclassman is to take care of your team," said football player Chris DeFrancesco.

The veteran student-athletes presented the sophomores with scenarios that might confront them as team leaders and brainstormed appropriate resolutions in a lively open forum.

It was the third straight year that Lt. Col. Grant headlined the Leadership Symposium session for the sophomores.

"It is always an honor to spend time with Lt. Col. Grant," said Director of Athletics Susan Bassett. "He is a hero and an expert on leadership. It is a great privilege for all of us to learn from his remarkable experiences. We are grateful that he makes time for us each year."

Bassett, who developed the Leadership Symposium upon her arrival at Carnegie Mellon in 2005, shared some of her own thoughts about leadership with the student-athletes.

"Leadership equals influence. We want to create a culture of excellence at Carnegie Mellon where the athletes are empowered to own the goals. It starts with you," Bassett told the group.