The 2025–2026 Ross Leaders Academy (RLA) has come to a close, marking the culmination of a year of intentional, research-backed leadership development—highlighted by a new Leader as Coach experience.
Throughout the year, students engaged in a robust learning experience, including live, in-person sessions, as well as group and 1:1 coaching, focused on developing skills in self-leadership, interpersonal leadership, and team effectiveness. This year’s Leader as Coach integration built on that foundation, helping fellows develop core coaching capabilities they can carry into their leadership roles. Through asynchronous modules and structured reflection, students practiced listening deeply, asking powerful questions, and building trust—learning how to support others not by giving answers, but by helping them uncover their own.
These skills are increasingly critical in today’s evolving workplace. As AI continues to reshape how work gets done, effective leadership is shifting from having the right answers to helping people and systems learn faster than the environment changes. Through Leader as Coach, RLA fellows are better equipped to set direction, frame the right questions, exercise judgment, and build the trust and psychological safety teams need to adapt. Leaders who can listen deeply, stay curious, and resist defaulting to “tell mode” are better positioned to navigate ambiguity, use AI responsibly, and develop capability in others.
“Coaching has taught me that leadership is not about having every answer, but about listening closely and helping people find clarity for themselves,” said RLA fellow Danielle Ewang, BBA ’26. “As I grow, I want to use coaching to create environments where people feel heard and comfortable being honest, so that one day, as a founder, I can build a company culture grounded in trust and openness.”
This program is generously sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation.
Ross Leaders Academy 2025-26 Cohort