Over soda and sandwiches, 23 undergraduate students spent their lunch hour Tuesday learning what it takes to be a good leader.
The diverse group of students heard Evan Wittenberg, the director of Wharton Leadership Ventures, talk about both his experiences as a leader and his role of educating future leaders.
The program is part of a series of leadership lunches sponsored by Fox Leadership Program. According to Chuck Brutsche, the program's associate director, Wittenberg was a choice candidate to speak at this type of event.
"At Wharton they are the leaders in the leadership movement, so we thought it natural for him to come talk to the students," Brutsche said.
"Is leadership innate or can it be learned?" Wittenberg began, adding that "knowing yourself is the primary pillar of leadership."
Wittenberg stressed the importance of learning things in a good environment. His leadership program has led ventures to the Himalayas and Mt. Kilimanjaro. His most recent trip was to Antarctica over this past winter break.
The importance of these trips is the "real-time feedback from peers" and "leading in the elements."
To give an example of quick decision making, Wittenberg brought a case study he is developing along with the CEO of The New York Times. He posed a scenario to students, asking what they would do as the publisher of The New York Times if the Unabomber told the newspaper that if his 60-page manifesto were published, he would stop his killing spree.
The debate was heated as students gave their viewpoints. Issues such as community responsibility, journalistic integrity and precedent were discussed. Even when Wittenberg revealed The New York Times' decision to publish and how this led to the Unabomber's apprehension, one student still strongly disagreed.
Despite the program's limited time, students seemed to enjoy the event.
"Wittenberg spoke with a lot of knowledge and clarity," College junior Heral Mehta said. "It definitely encourages you to come back for these events."
When describing why he came to the event, Wharton sophomore Derek Rogers said, "Obviously for the free lunch, but also to learn about leadership and how to teach it."
Wittenberg was pleased with the luncheon. "The students were responsive. ... This group quickly got to what the issues were ... and saw the difficulty in making a final decision," he said.
