RESPRO Intensive Week: Student Perspectives on Learning Responsible Leadership

In a world where project-based work continues to grow, the skills of leading people are essential. RESPRO (Responsible Leadership – Developing people skills in project management education in European HEI’s) project had an intensive week in Spain, which turned out to be a great learning experience for the students. Five project management students from each of the project partners – Finland, Austria, Latvia and Spain – travelled to Valencia, Spain, to learn more about responsible leadership. 

During the week, participants tested the course product, reflecting on their learning and experiences. They appreciated the opportunity to generate new ideas and insights from the hands-on activities.

The students told that they were able to have good ideas and references from the experiment. Student feedback highlighted their satisfaction with networking opportunities and idea-sharing. Participants found it particularly interesting to learn a lot from each other about different countries and how the system and laws are different in other countries, as well as sharing their ideas with each other.

In the RESPRO project students were able to focus on responsible leadership principles and theories. Along the week, they reflected on their leadership journey and how they grow as project leaders. During the intensive week students were able to meet up with peers and share their experiences and insights. They got to test the Easy Accessible Short Courses (EAS) which address responsible leadership.

Piloting the EAS Course: Student Insights and Key Takeaways

The primary goal of the intensive week was to provide participating students with the opportunity to test and pilot the EAS course. The students found the course highly beneficial, offering valuable insights and practical knowledge.

Responsible leadership introduced future project professionals to ethical and strategic dimensions of project leadership. Managing projects in the 21st century requires a broader approach than mere task management. Ethical leaders take care of team members’ well-being, act fairly, and create a collaborative, psychologically safe working environment.

The strategic dimension of responsible leadership involves engaging stakeholders and ensuring their welfare. It also includes aligning project actions with the organization’s long-term strategic goals. Learning responsible leadership is a process of identifying one’s strengths and reflecting on one’s leadership journey.

The intensive week was seen as particularly beneficial for the project, strengthening the foundation for the course’s future success.

Students were also introduced to the fundamentals of well-being at work. Together, they formed a shared understanding of the job demands and resources specific to project work and reflected on what a project leader can do to balance these demands and resources. They delved into theories of job crafting and explored how job crafting and leadership can enhance work engagement and team productivity.

The feedback gathered during this week played a crucial role in finalizing the course, confirming its relevance and usefulness in fostering responsible leadership. Overall, the intensive week was seen as particularly beneficial for the project, strengthening the foundation for the course’s future success.

What’s next for RESPRO?

Overall the intensive week in Spain was really successful. Through the RESPRO project, students had the opportunity to work together on an international project, learn more about responsible leadership and skill development in a global context.

The students studied in groups, which made the week more intensive. According to the students’ experience, the intensive week was a good opportunity to get a new perspective on the subject and interact with people while gaining an overall perspective on how to work in an international team.

On top of this, RESPRO team got good feedback on the project product itself, the students found the project management training to be useful. The Easy Accessible Short Courses is a package that focuses on responsible leadership and leadership promoting well-being.

As the project management as a profession keeps on developing, new avenues for project leadership are required.

Next, the RESPRO project will focus on refining the course content before making it available to everyone on the RESPRO website. As a team, we are committed to continue the development of project leadership.

With ongoing improvements to the EAS courses, the RESPRO team is excited to make responsible leadership training widely accessible, shaping future project leaders across Europe. As the project management as a profession keeps on developing and becoming more meaningful for wider stakeholders, new avenues for project leadership are required.

This article is one of the publications of the New Ways of Promoting Performance (NWPP) research group.

Authors

Sanni-Sisko Koistinen
Occupational Therapy Student
Turku University of Applied Science

Marion Karppi
Senior Lecturer and Research Group Leader
New Ways of Promoting Performance research group
Turku University of Applied Science