You have the capacity to make a positive impact on organizations, communities, and the people around you. But leadership does not "just happen." It is a set of behaviors you can learn, practice, and strengthen.
At the Ford School, you will pair rigorous policy analysis with the leadership skills to navigate complexity, build coalitions, communicate across differences, and turn ideas into action. Leadership development is woven through your experience at the Ford School—in the classroom and beyond it.
Morela Hernandez
Leadership doesn't come by title. You don't have to be the head of an organization to have an impact." -Morela Hernandez, Ligia Ramirez de Reynolds Collegiate Professor of Public Policy
Learn
Build a foundation through coursework that combines rigorous policy analysis with communication, collaboration, ethical reasoning, and the fundamentals of leadership.
Practice
Apply what you learn through internships, consulting projects, research, community partnerships, public conversations, and other hands-on policy experiences.
Grow
Strengthen your leadership through assessment, coaching, writing support, feedback, and reflection.
Growing as a leader requires developing self-awareness. Multiple opportunities at the Ford School allow us to build intentionality and transform the way we lead, learn, serve, communicate and collaborate in teams."
In a small-group conversation, Cecilia Muñoz discussed her career journey, reflected on lessons from her time in government, and explained how she sustains hope while working on difficult public challenges.
What sustains democratic trust when political disagreements remain unresolved? At two Ford School events during the University of Michigan’s Democracy Week, current and former Democratic and Republican elected leaders pointed to local participation, civic education, careful listening, and relationships across ideological lines.
Leadership challenges do not always happen on a predictable schedule. Master’s students can work with a certified executive leadership coach during their summer internship. Your coach provides a confidential space to reflect on challenges as they arise, understand how you affect others, and identify practical ways to move forward. Through individual conversations, you can turn day-to-day experiences into greater self-awareness and lasting leadership skills.
Leadership skills that complement a technical toolkit
"The Ford School is a place of community and supporting the whole person. With the Leadership Initiative, I feel like I have developed as a future member of the workplace and of society. I have strong quantitative and qualitative skills from coursework; and now I have stronger leadership skills."
Julia Weigand (MPP '20)
Strategies for asking the right questions
“Our coach asked us how we wished to make an impact, why, and using what skills? We discussed strategies for asking the right questions, turning self-reflection into action, and supporting each other in our professional and personal goals.”
