MSU Extension Great Lakes Leadership Academy

Our Mission

The mission of the Great Lakes Leadership Academy is to promote positive change, economic vitality, and resource conservation and enhance the quality of life in Michigan by encouraging leadership for the common good.

Michigan's need for leadership development

Beginning in September of 2004, Michigan State University met with and discussed the need for a twenty-first century leadership development program with a diverse cross-section of stakeholders representing the food system, agriculture, natural resources, manufacturing, and environmental communities. This group agreed there was a critical need to develop the next generation of leaders to play key roles in the community, and at regional and state levels.

Although a number of leadership development programs existed in the state, the consensus of the planning team was these programs were focused on training leaders to advocate for special interest and had little or no association with sustainability issues. In short, the group concluded there was a critical need for leadership development that would focus on the issues and challenges associated with helping leaders from diverse constituencies transcend self-interest and create workable solutions for the common good.