On Tuesday, September 15, Georgia Tech will host the grand opening of the new Georgia Tech Leadership Challenge Course (LCC) . Located on the corner of Ferst Drive and Hemphill Avenue, the course is a custom-designed skills development lab that helps participants learn, develop, and utilize leadership and teamwork skills.

Every couple of years, Georgia Tech polls alumni about their experience here and how effectively they were prepared for the working world. While it is unanimously agreed upon that Georgia Tech provides a solid and impressive education, alumni claimed that they felt the most under-prepared for the workplace in the areas of communication, leadership, teamwork, and group problem solving. Companies who frequently hire Tech graduates are also polled to determine the caliber of worker that Tech produces. While they consider Tech graduates unmatched in their intelligence and work ethic, they, too, believe that social interaction, adaptability, and effective communication skills were areas in need of improvement.

In response to this data, Georgia Tech developed plans for the construction of a brand new resource on campus that would allow participating students to further develop these abilities. In early 2006, official preparation for the Leadership Challenge Course Complex got under way. To be managed by the Campus Recreation Department’s Outdoor Recreation (ORGT) program, the challenge course will allow students, as well as outside industries and organizations, to come together for an incredible experience. This tool is designed to teach effective leadership and teamwork behaviors, to implement group problem solving and effective communication, and to develop critical and analytical thinking that improves flexibility and adaptability. Matt Marcus, the coordinator of the LCC, believes that the challenge course is so important because “it is the only outlet of its kind that focuses solely on teaching these critical skills.”

The design of the course is custom built to Tech’s specifications and includes some of the most state-of-the-art technology available today. Between three towers, each forty feet tall, lie a dozen elements to cross. GPS, video, data collection and analysis, customizable LCD screens, and various communication devices present a high-tech way to communicate, check team progress, and provide instant feedback.

Currently, the LCC provides four customizable workshop topics: The Five Behaviors of Leadership in Action, Problem Solving in Seven Easy Steps, Coming to Consensus Quickly, and Kick Start Your Team. The Five Behaviors of Leadership in Action is a workshop based on principles outlined in the book The Leadership Challenge by Bill Posner and Jim Kouzes. The other workshops emphasize how more systematic problem solving leads to better solutions, consensus should be reached quickly, but fairly, and group mindedness leads to a stronger working force.

All are welcome at the grand opening on September 15 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. We will watch as President G.P. "Bud" Peterson and Buzz journey down the zip line for our ribbon "cutting" ceremony, and guests will see for themselves the adventure that awaits them during a complete course demonstration! The Leadership Challenge Course is a fantastic new addition to the holistic Georgia Tech education. Your student will not want to miss out! Learn more at www.crc.gatech.edu/lcc.