Moving into 2025 with Confidence, Creativity, and Capability

By Jeremy Fouss, MAOL Alumnus

I graduated from Harding University’s Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) program in December 2024. Because of that program, I am bringing valuable leadership traits and knowledge with me into the new year of 2025.

How to Lead: As a veteran speech-language pathologist (SLP), with a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders, I’ve worked with children, families, adults, and healthcare professionals throughout my career. My job focuses on helping and leading people, but in my previous degree programs I was never explicitly taught leadership skills. In the MAOL program, my studies were focused on the practical application of leadership knowledge. I now understand how to lead individuals and teams more effectively. I learned how different generations react to others and how they best learn and thrive. This knowledge has assisted me in my practice as a speech therapist as well as in how I lead others.

Understanding my Leadership Style: Until taking the courses in the MAOL program, I did not realize that I had a leadership style. I did not realize how important it was for me and my patients to understand how I best lead or how to tailor my leadership style to each individual patient and family. Some families require a more direct leadership style, while others need an indirect, soft leadership approach. I now better understand the styles of leadership and which would be best for individual patients and their families. Before, I knew how to interact well with others, but now I have a richer understanding. Knowing the mechanics and traits of various leadership styles has made me more effective in my interactions.

Creativity: In several of my classes, I had the opportunity to explore ideas I’d never considered before. I wrote papers and completed projects on topics that I had never covered in my previous degree programs. This creative process helped expand my academic “brain,” but the creativity has also expanded my clinic “brain.” Tapping into the creative process has helped me be more imaginative in my practice as a speech-language pathologist. I’ve been able to use those creative skills and thought processes to target different goals for my patients and make the therapy process both more functional and more fun for them. Examining therapy options through a creative lens means I’m using my brain in a different way, which is making me more effective in the process.

HR Policy: Part of the MAOL program involves choosing a concentration, and with my chosen concentration in Human Resources, I deepened my understanding of what occurs within an HR setting. This knowledge aided me last summer while navigating a new job opportunity. Because of the knowledge gained in my HR classes, I was able to understand the hiring process better, and that knowledge was one of the reasons I have my current position.

Importance of Networking: Coming from a speech therapy background, I did not fully understand the importance of networking with others. In my position, my interaction with other professionals is often limited to contact with physicians or other healthcare professionals. I’m often isolated in my clinic space, but learning the skills required for networking has been important and helpful for me. I now have the confidence to reach out to others and network in order to widen my circle and gain more knowledge and new skills. This new networking tool has helped me make new acquaintances, friendships, and professional contacts, which is important for me in my current position as well as future jobs that I will hold.

Self-Improvement: I’m not sure I expected it, but this leadership degree program has taught me to be a better speech-language pathologist simply because it has taught me how to have more effective interactions with people. Additionally, it was extremely rewarding to learn a new skillset outside of my speech therapy training. The classes, books, and discussions guided me in a new way of thinking which in turn has helped me in my clinical practice. I feel that I am better able to lead not only my patients, but their families as well. It has made me into a more confident clinician.

Moving Forward: My experiences with Harding University have been great, both as an undergraduate living on campus and as an older graduate student in an online program. In the MAOL program, I enjoyed learning from my classes, professors, and fellow graduate students. The lives and work experiences of my peers were so different from my own but so valuable to me in my learning process. They widened my worldview. Seeing how different people from different professions and backgrounds approach challenges and tasks showed me unique perspectives and offered valuable insights. The classes exposed me to new and exciting ideas and helped me think about people and systems with a fresh perspective. These experiences have helped me in my professional life.

I began the MAOL in October 2023. As a husband and new father moving to a new geographical location, I was in a time of transition when I began. I was ready for something new, but I’m not sure I knew what that would be. Just over a year later, I am emerging into 2025 with a better version of myself. I know that I am a better speech-language pathologist because of the MAOL program. I know I am a more effective leader. I’m more confident, creative, and capable in all areas of my life.

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Moving into 2025 with Confidence, Creativity, and Capability

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