Mindy Gayheart said she believes leaders are not born – they are made.

This week, leaders will form with guidance from iLead, a new pilot leadership program.

To start the week of a series of workshops, Monday Lou Hencken, former Eastern president, will present “How to be a Great Leader!”

Gayheart, a graduate student in college student affairs from St. Louisville, Ohio, was in charge of contacting speakers for the workshops.

“We chose Lou Hencken because he’s a really good people person,” Gayheart said.

Gayheart said Hencken had worked his way up to president from an entry-level job.

“I think that a leader is someone who doesn’t go along with the status quo,” Gayheart said. “They’re willing to put their reputation on the line for something they believe in.”

With the school year coming to a close, it is time for registered student organizations to hold elections.

Tuesday’s workshop, “Officer Transition: Preparation for Tomorrow’s Leader,” presented by Greek Court coordinator Lai-Monte Hunter, will focus on making the transition between new and old members of executive boards.

The workshop series will come to an end Wednesday with a workshop presented by Dana Barnard, assistant director of student life, and Mary Ham, a graduate student majoring in college student affairs.

Barnard and Ham will teach students about different leadership styles at Wednesday’s workshop, “What Color is Your Brain?”

“I’m hopeful that we can get 20 or so students each session,” Barnard said.

Ham, from Monroe, La., said the workshop also inform students what their leadership style is.

“We know you sit in lectures all day, so we want to make sure they’re interactive while being informative,” Ham said.

These workshops are open to all students.

This week’s iLead workshops, modeled after other college’s leadership programs, are part of a pilot run for a full year leadership program that will commence in the fall 2010 semester.

iLead Events

“How to be a Great Leader!” will start at 5 p.m. Monday

“Officer Transition: Preparation for Tomorrow’s Leader” will start at 5 p.m. Tuesday

“What Color is Your Brain?” will start at 7 p.m. Wednesday

Sam Bohne can be reached at 581-7942

or at shbohne@eiu.edu.