Call Me MiSTER® Cohort Has Leadership Retreat in Charlotte
Converse’s Call Me MiSTER® participants spent the weekend in Charlotte, NC, for a leadership retreat. The Call Me MiSTER® program is an award-winning teacher recruitment and retention program that has been mentoring students for more than 25 years. It has historically enrolled and graduated students regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender.
The group, led by Assistant Professor of Education and Chair of Education Department, Dr. JJ Lies, stayed at a log cabin for the weekend and participated in team-building activities, playing games and cooking breakfast together.
Dr. Lies, the Site Coordinator of Call Me MiSTER® at Converse University, led a leadership lesson where they explored the shift from being thermometers to becoming thermostats, i.e., leaders.
Dr. Lies presented the following points for the group to contemplate:
- A thermometer can only read the room temperature.
- A thermostat (leader) can set the room temperature, read the room temperature, and adjust the temperature based on what it reads.
- Thermostats do not ‘boss’ thermometers around; rather, they gradually respond to bring the temperature in the room into alignment with the set expectation.
Dr. Lies then segwayed into the effective traits of leaders:
- They do routine maintenance on oneself & question one’s own motives.
- They build relationships and develop competent soft skills to build up others .
- They maintain an expectation but lead by example first and foremost.
- They embrace servant leadership and champion the needs of others.
- They are open to change, and willing to accept responsibility when wrong.
The group set off to see the sights of Charlotte, including Archive CLT, a Black-owned coffee shop featuring an extensive collection of records, vintage magazines, and timeless photos documenting moments in Black history in the US. They attended the Charlotte Regional Farmer’s Market, a year-round market featuring locally grown produce and plants, as well as arts & crafts by local artists.
The group spent the evening at the Charlotte Hornets vs. Brooklyn Nets basketball game, where the Nets led for the first 46 minutes. In the last two minutes, the Hornets stormed back, took the lead, and secured the victory in the last few seconds.
For four of the MISTERs, it was the first professional sports game they had attended, and they all agreed that this event was the trip’s highlight.
The group discussed what leadership looks like on the Converse campus and explored how MiSTERs could get involved in leading by example in their respective classes, dorms, clubs, and other spaces on campus.
Dr. Lies expanded the discussion by addressing the responsibility of power, and the group learned ways to use power appropriately and effectively, emphasizing not misusing or abusing power, no matter the circumstance.
The Call Me MiSTER® program and our very own Dr. Lies were spotlighted on the Today Show recently, discussing how the program has had an infusion of educators into classrooms.