Departments and Research Centers

Leadership Initiative

Leadership skills for transformative public service.

Content type
Showing 1 - 30 of 30 results
Core faculty

Morela Hernandez

Ligia Ramirez de Reynolds Collegiate Professor of Public Policy; Faculty Director, Leadership Initiative
Hernandez is an internationally recognized scholar with deep expertise in applying behavioral science insights to design and improve organizational systems and decision-making practices. She is widely published in top-tier academic journals and popular media outlets, and serves on several editorial boards. At Michigan, Hernandez teaches courses on leadership and serves as faculty director of the Ford School's Leadership Initiative.
Morela Hernandez
Staff

Claire Davidson

Program Manager, Leadership Initiative
cehdavid@umich.edu
(734) 936-2878
Claire Davidson is the program manager of the Leadership Initiative at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.  Claire supports key curricular and extracurricular programs and projects for the Initiative, including…
Photo of Claire Davidson
Staff

Jennifer Niggemeier

Associate Director, Leadership Initiative
Jennifer Niggemeier brings 20+ years of experience in working with current and future policy leaders. Jennifer leads a global team of 20+ executive leadership coaches delivering individual and group coaching to masters students, and designs and…
Headshot of Jennifer Niggemeier
Staff

Cat Owsik

Cat is an organizational psychologist who studies environmental justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at work, primarily drawing on social psychology theories. Her research program reflects her life-long passion for assisting leaders and…
Headshot of Cat Owsik

Leadership dinners

In fall 2022, the Leadership Initiative launched a new program for graduate students to learn about different pathways to leadership in an intimate, informal setting. Each semester, Professor Morela Hernandez hosts two dinners in her home for 15...
Students attending Leadership Journey Dinner

Extracurricular programming

The Leadership Initiative hosts workshops and partners with units across campus on a variety of programs that take place outside of the classroom. Students gain insights from faculty, alumni, and each other, and have space to practice communicating...
Ford Students participating in Story Lab

Leadership coaching

All Ford School master's students have the opportunity to work with a certified executive leadership coach—a growth activity that is typically reserved for senior leaders and executives much further along in their careers. For Master of Public...
Photo of two people shaking hands

Leadership Initiative

The Ford School's Leadership Initiative develops and offers a growing suite of graduate and undergraduate student leadership courses, coaching, and extracurricular programs that build on and complement the school's excellent, rigorous curriculum....
A student asks a question of Hillary Clinton
Publication

Overcoming workplace imposter syndrome

Jan 31, 2023
Many high-achieving employees describe feelings of self-doubt and not being intellectually capable to do their jobs. These feelings can be classified as “imposter syndrome” and it is a persistent issue among career women. A KPMG survey of 750 female...
Headshot of Morela Hernandez
State & Hill

National recognition for Niggemeier, summer leadership coaching

Dec 19, 2022
In 2021, after an initial pilot test, the Ford School became the first policy school to offer all Master of Public Policy students the opportunity to work with a certified executive leadership coach during their required summer internship. In...
Representatives from the Sanford School of Public Policy, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Ford School of Public Policy, and the Harris School of Public Policy present at the 6th annual Voinovich Public Innovation Challenge at the 2022 NASPAA conference.
News

Making the case for public policy education

Dec 14, 2022
In an event on December 5, 2022, Ford School interim dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes told a group of Capitol Hill staffers and other DC professionals that a public policy education can lead to community impact.  “I'm a firm believer in the idea that...
Photo of Hardy Vieux, Maria Cancian, Celeste Watkins-Hayes, and Trevor Brown posed in front of a screen with a slide that says "Public Policy Panel for Prospective Policy Makers"
News

Hernandez joins MIT Sloan Editorial Advisory Board

Sep 14, 2022
Morela Hernandez, Ligia Ramirez de Reynolds Collegiate Professor of Public Policy and Faculty Director of the Leadership Initiative, has been named to the editorial advisory board of the MIT Sloan Management Review. The review's mission is to "seek...
Headshot of Morela Hernandez
News

New leadership development program focuses on the journey

Sep 14, 2022
This fall, the Ford School’s Leadership Initiative is launching a new program for graduate students to learn about different pathways to leadership from Ford School faculty in an intimate, informal setting. Professor Morela Hernandez, director...
Headshots of Morela Hernandez, Luke Shaefer, and Shobita Parthasarathy
Publication

Research shows how women leaders manage the “double bind”

Jun 17, 2022
In corporate boardrooms, women often face backlash or negative career consequences when they are unable to display both warmth and competence — gendered societal expectations commonly referred to as the ‘double bind.’ Morela Hernandez, the Ligia...
Headshot of Morela Hernandez
News

Morela Hernandez named to Collegiate Chair

Sep 23, 2021
On September 23, the University of Michigan Board of Regents approved the appointment of Ford School professor Morela Hernandez as the newly established Ligia Ramirez de Reynolds Collegiate Professor of Public Policy for a five-year renewable term....
Morela Hernandez
News

Hernandez and Barr explore the essential themes of leadership

Aug 27, 2021
Ford School Dean Michael S. Barr and Professor Morela Hernandez, faculty director of the Leadership Initiative, reflected on the attributes and importance of good leadership as an essential asset for public policy practitioners during a summer...
Michael S. Barr and Morela Hernandez portrait

United States general election 2022

Nov 8, 2022, 7:00 am-8:00 pm EST
At your polling location or local clerk's office, or by absentee ballot
Key dates and deadlines for the November 8 election, plus how to register and vote.
Voting booths with Ford School votes written on top

A conversation on salary negotiation and networking for women of color

Jan 27, 2022, 5:00 pm EST
Students of Color in Public Policy (SCPP) is proud to host Dr. Morela Hernandez to guide students through a conversation and interactive exercise on leadership for women of color in public policy. This conversation will focus on negotiating salary and leveraging your network for career advancement.
Headshot of Morela Hernandez

Leadership coaches

The Ford School has cultivated a diverse bench of over 20 International Coaching Federation-certified coaches who have experience in the public sector and are located in the U.S. or abroad. Coaches assist students in approaching workplace challenges...

Leadership assessments

Are you looking for a starting place in your leadership journey? Ford School students can take a variety of leadership assessments as part of courses or co-curricular activities at no cost to them. Assessments provide snapshots of skills,...

Leadership courses

A growing catalog of graduate and undergraduate courses introduce Ford School students to the fundamentals of leadership, and leadership tools that are effective in the public sector. Our coursework helps students: Learn about leadership...