Throughout the Spring 2026 semester, students in the Leadership in the Health Sciences course at Middle Georgia State University studied leadership styles, teamwork, data-driven decision-making, and the importance of trust and accountability across healthcare, public health, and education settings.
To conclude the course, students participated in “The Game of LIFE: Leader Edition,” an interactive activity that connected classroom learning with real-world leadership experiences. During the event, students rotated through a series of short interviews with six accomplished leaders from healthcare, public health, and higher education fields. Prior to the activity, students developed interview questions and completed mock interviews with professor Dr. Kedrick Williams.
Featured leaders included:
In the week following this activity, students provided individual presentations in class highlighting lessons learned from each of these six interviewed leaders. A few key lessons shared were: “Effective leaders lead by example and create space for others to step up and succeed.” and “Leadership is less about having all of the answers and more about being willing to listen, learn and adapt.” Also, student interviews highlighted that “. . . fostering growth in a team really starts with yourself. You have to take care of yourself first, because you can’t pour from an empty cup. If I’m not showing up at my best—mentally, physically, or emotionally, it’s going to affect how I lead and support others.” Regarding ways in which to keep motivated as a leader, the students learned to “stay excited and view challenges as opportunities” and ensure “self-care”. Ultimately, it was noted by leaders to “know what works for you and protect it.”
