Transforming Today’s Alpha Phi’s Into Tomorrow’s Agile Leaders

Alpha Phi partners with new experts in leadership development to inspire consultants during an unprecedented year in the organization’s history

Since the program’s establishment in 1894, Alpha Phi’s Educational Leadership Consultants (ELCs) have helped tactfully manage the distinct opportunities in collegiate chapter advancement. The first program of its kind amongst fraternal organizations, Alpha Phi’s ELC Program has set the gold standard for empowering collegiate leadership while also developing consultants into professional leaders. However, the 2020-2021 Consultants faced an unprecedented challenge not seen in over 100 years: guiding today’s emerging Alpha Phi leaders amidst a global pandemic.

To empower their latest group of consultants through the pandemic, Alpha Phi International partnered with The Leadership Laboratory, an expert in learning and leadership development, to facilitate a customized high-potential, high-performing leadership development program. Funded through the generosity of Alpha Phi Foundation’s Leading With Heart donors, the ELC Leadership Lab focused on design theory and strategic consultation, providing ELCs with the opportunity to transform the way they lead and approach Alpha Phi’s chapters’ diverse needs & perspectives.

Utilizing methods grounded in “strengthening trust, enhancing collaboration, and leveraging positive psychology” to inspire long-term change, the ELC Leadership Lab challenged each consultant to explore the foundations of successful problem-solving and enhance their cross-functional leadership skills. “This program taught me how to prioritize, seek out ideal future goals, and command a room,” shares Caitlin Burke (Delta Tau–LSU), a 2020-2021 Educational Leadership Consultant and now Educational Leadership Specialist for Alpha Phi. “The ELC Leadership Lab made a huge difference in my leadership skills and confidence. I have been able to step back and look at my leadership style before and after this program and I can see growth in how I approach goals and strategize ideas.”

An Opportunity for a Greater Impact

Equipped with new insights on their own leadership capabilities, the consultants have witnessed a similar impact on Alpha Phi’s collegiate leaders and members-at-large.

“This program has helped me support members on a collegiate level to the best of my ability,” adds Caitlin. Able to effectively encourage Alpha Phi’s collegians to “creatively generate, embrace, and execute on new ideas,” consultants like Caitlin have noticed an improvement in their collegiate sisters’ ability to lead their chapters, and together have found “new, inclusive, and creative ways to brainstorm” and make “goals more attainable.”

Creating A Legacy of Leaders

Following the overwhelmingly positive feedback and success of the first ELC Leadership Lab, Alpha Phi plans to partner again with The Leadership Laboratory to engage the newly announced 2021-2022 Educational Leadership Consultants. This would not be possible without the support of over 13,000 Alpha Phi sisters who have made a marked difference in Alpha Phi’s innovative leadership programming through Leading With Heart.

Today’s Alpha Phi’s are tomorrow’s leaders. Through Leading With Heart, you ensure that Alpha Phi can cultivate the leadership potential in each and every sister at all steps of their personal and professional lives. Learn how you can support the empowerment of thousands of women leaders at https://alphaphifoundation.org/leadingwithheart.

Leadership Program

Alpha Phi is committed to creating experiences and training that support its members’ growth, education, health, and well-being. Through the generosity of Leading With Heart donors, Alpha Phi Foundation has invested over $4.3M in Alpha Phi Fraternity leadership programming since the launch of the Leading With Heart endowment campaign. Learn more about Alpha Phi’s Leadership Programs.