Great things can happen under the direction of great leadership. But how does one become a great leader? Host Dustin Odham chatted with Dr. Mathew Ohlson, the Director of the Taylor Leadership Institute at the University of North Florida, about the habits of a great leader and how to jumpstart that career pathway.

When Dr. Ohlson first started, he was sure he would get his PhD and go back into K-12 education. However, after completing his seven-habits training, he realized there was a need at universities to have someone teach student-athletes and others leadership skills for employability.

He said, “It really started with the Covey resources and the Covey habits…It was absolutely startling in some ways to see the almost immediate impact.” Rather than building a content-heavy class, Dr. Ohlson constructed a class focused on students learning about themselves, which works for a range of people and career fields, including elementary school principals, Olympic athletes, or even CEO’s. Dr. Ohlson reflected, “It’s pretty amazing to see that the recipe for success worked every time regardless of that setting.” Dr. Ohlson’s vision grew throughout the COVID-19 shutdown, as more and more students signed up for the course and there was an increased need for students to have lessons directly from mentors they could relate to.

Through leadership design and practice, Dr. Ohlson helps people uncover the greatness they have in themselves to “do great things.” Some components for great leadership, he said, are celebrating what your strengths and talents are, encouraging and motivating others, and practicing these habits consistently. As he put it, “Leadership is an everyday practice.” By focusing on the positive impact you can have on others and listening to their needs, leadership becomes a valuable, influential, and directive ability to steer success into the future.