The National Society of Leadership and Success chapter at OSU Institute of Technology is hosting a series of broadcasts with the intent to inspire creativity, critical thinking and self-examination.
The broadcast is being provided free of charge and is an open invitation to all OSUIT students, faculty and staff. Each speaker’s broadcast will take place at 6 p.m. in the Covelle Hall Auditorium. Scheduled speakers for the broadcasts include Steve Madden from the Steve Madden fashion line, Wall Street Journal bestselling author Rohit Bhargava and activist Zachary R. Wood.
“I think that as an aspiring student working toward building a successful career in any industry, it’s important to hear people talk about concepts, ideas and thoughts that provoke you to think a little more critically about things you may have already experienced in life or things that you may come across later in life,” said Kamie Rash, director of Student Life and NSLS advisor.
Rash explained the speakers scheduled will inspire students to learn how to think critically, listen to other’s ideas, and form opinions based on their own prospective career and life journey.
The series begins Feb. 25 with Wood discussing the topic of Confronting Controversy and Building Common Ground. His platform discusses the importance of tact and flexibility in dialogue, using validation and affirmation to build bridges, appreciating and acknowledging the complexity of issues that matter and framing answers and observations and turning into questions.
Wood is an author and Next Big Idea Club selection, a TED speaker and a Robert L Bartley Fellow at the Wall Street Journal. He is known for his dynamic perspective on free speech, race and dissenting opinions. He’s an activist for free speech and a firm believer that civil debate is a crucial part of one’s education.
Steve Madden joins the series March 10 with “Don’t Sell Yourself Short, Avoid Shortcuts.” A household name most people recognize for building a multibillion-dollar company, Madden began his empire in 1990 by selling shoes from the trunk of his car. Today, Steve dedicates his time by educating young people on avoiding the mistakes he made, the importance of never selling yourself short, avoiding shortcuts, and how your past doesn’t have to define your future. Steve is a frequent guest on CNBC and other media outlets sharing his insights on business and tariffs, as well as his story of success, failure and redemption.
The third and final speaker broadcast of the semester is Rohit Bhargava on March 26. In this session, he will share five irreverent lessons from his award-winning book, “Always Eat Left Handed” on what students really need to know to prepare for success in the real world.
For the past 10 years, Wall Street Journal bestselling author Rohit Bhargava has been teaching leaders, organizations and students how to think differently, be more interesting and win in the real world. He is an adjunct professor of Storytelling at Georgetown University and has been invited to deliver “non-boring” keynote presentations at hundreds of events in 32 countries, plus multiple TEDx talks.
These speaker broadcasts a required part of the curriculum for this NSLS Leadership Program, but all students, faculty and staff are invited to attend.
“Most of these events have activities and discussions and reflections on the events so that students can digest the information shared with them,” said Rash. “The activities and networking between all of the students have shown to be effective in understanding their communication styles and leadership styles and how to work best with others who differ; all tools that will aid in their success as future potential leaders in society and industry.”
All speaker broadcasts will be live-streamed or recorded sessions and will only be available for viewing on that date, unless a current NSLS member is unable to attend.