Leadership and Mission: How Baylor Cultivates Leaders for the Common Good
At Baylor University, leadership is more than a title—it’s a calling shaped by faith, service and commitment to human flourishing.
Baylor consistently ranks among the nation’s top universities for producing future leaders—recognized by TIME magazine as one of the “100 Best Colleges for Future Leaders.”
But how does Baylor cultivate such influence?
Rooted in its Christian mission, Baylor’s approach to student leadership development is both intentional and transformative. Here are a few examples:
Hankamer School of Business
At Hankamer School of Business, leadership development is embedded into every aspect of the student experience. Bradley Lail, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, emphasizes that leadership isn’t confined to titles — it’s about transformation, professionalism and service.
“Leadership is about recognizing the influence you have and using it to serve others,” Lail said.
Through group projects, peer mentorship, guest speakers and professionalism training, students build communication, problem-solving and critical thinking skills — qualities that employers seek in an era increasingly shaped by external factors like Artificial Intelligence.
As Lail says, “Our purpose isn’t just to create better professionals. It’s to love Jesus and serve others well. And that’s what real leaders do.”
Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD) Living-Learning Community
The LEAD Living-Learning Community (LEAD LLC) at Baylor University is a residential program for first-year students from all majors who live and learn in a community that fosters leadership development through shared coursework, personal coaching, community engagement and intentional reflection.
“We’re not just training future executives,” said Alyssa Harrington, director of LEAD LLC. “We’re helping students understand who they are, what matters to them and how they want to lead.”
Student Life
Baylor’s Student Life division cultivates leadership by providing intentional, faith-driven opportunities that develop students’ character, purpose and capacity to serve others.
Purposeful collaboration with academic and campus partners are avenues for Student Life to ensure that leadership development is accessible to all students - not just those in formal positions - helping them become authentic, values-driven leaders for the common good.
Through programs like the Certificate in Experiential Leadership, Student Life helps students recognize and grow their influence in everyday roles.
“We’re helping students discover who they are, what they care about and how they can use their influence to contribute to the world around them,” states Kimberly Black, Director of Student Leadership Development and Division Initiatives.
Together, these efforts make leadership at Baylor a lived practice—formed in classrooms, residence halls and service to others. By uniting rigorous preparation with a Christ-centered purpose, students learn to use their influence with humility, courage and care. In this way, Baylor equips graduates not only to succeed, but to lead for the common good long after they leave campus.