In an era when employers increasingly prize self-aware, adaptive leaders, Goizueta’s Leadership Development Fellows (LDF) course offers Full-time MBA students a rare opportunity to practice leadership in real time—by leading, listening, and coaching others.
Designed as a highly experiential course and built on courses developed by former Goizueta leadership faculty Ken Keen, Rick Gilkey and Peter Topping, Leadership Development Fellows immerse MBA candidates in a democratic and coaching-oriented style of leadership. Rather than focusing on theory alone, the course emphasizes learning by doing. Fellows work closely with Goizueta’s Master in Management students, supporting both individual and team performance while sharpening their own leadership capabilities along the way.
At the heart of the course is the belief that great leadership starts with self-awareness. Through structured reflection, hands-on coaching experiences, and ongoing feedback, Fellows deepen their understanding of their own leadership styles, strengths, and growth areas. They also build emotional intelligence—an essential capability for influencing others, managing conflict, and navigating complex team dynamics.
Coaching as the Catalyst
The course pairs each fellow with an Executive Coach for one-on-one development throughout the term. These coaching relationships allow students to translate classroom insights into practice, test new approaches, and receive candid feedback from experienced leadership professionals. In parallel, fellows provide both individual and team coaching to Goizueta’s Master in Management students, supporting those students’ individual and team performance while also sharpening their own leadership capabilities—critical listening, questioning, and performance feedback skills—that are directly transferable to post-MBA leadership roles.
“Leadership isn’t something you learn by observing from the sidelines,” says Richard Berlin, associate professor in the practice of organization and management. “It develops through practice, reflection, and feedback. This course gives students a structured environment to try, adjust, and grow as leaders in real time.”
Beyond coaching practice, the course exposes fellows to insights from academic and business leaders who bring diverse perspectives on leadership, organizations, and change. These interactions help students better understand how teams and organizations function, how conflict can be productively managed, and how effective leaders negotiate priorities while maintaining trust and alignment.
From Classroom to Career Impact
By the end of the course, fellows work toward three core objectives. First, they build the self-awareness and emotional intelligence needed to lead with authenticity and impact. Second, they gain a practical understanding of how teams and organizations operate, including how to address challenges and guide groups through uncertainty. Third, they develop tangible leadership skills to lead change initiatives and build strong, high-performing teams.
The benefits of the Leadership Development Fellows course extend well beyond the classroom. Participants graduate with skills that employers consistently seek—coaching, influencing, feedback, and collaborative leadership—while also earning the Delta Leadership Development Fellows Certificate.
For MBA students eager to accelerate their leadership journey, the course offers a powerful combination of coaching, practice, and reflection. By leading others, Fellows ultimately learn to lead themselves—emerging better prepared to make an impact in their organizations and beyond.
Through experiential learning opportunities like Leadership Development Fellows, Goizueta’s Full-Time MBA prepares students to lead with confidence and make an immediate impact from day one. Explore the Full-Time MBA program.
