Pinnacle FAQs
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Any full or part-time Mount Royal University student is encouraged to register for the challenge.
The online application can be found here. The application deadline is Wednesday September 30th, 2020 at 4:00 pm.
Pinnacle runs from October to March, with a total time investment of roughly 20 hours (depending on which options you choose). Most of the work involved is flexible in working with your schedule.
In order to complete the challenge you must complete the following components by the end of March:
- Gallup’s Clifton Strengths assessment profile (2 full reports, individualized to you)
- Attend a minimum of three leadership workshops in the fall semester. All participants MUST attend a session of “Talents, Teams, and Strengths: Unpacking your Gallup’s Clifton Strengths for Students”.
- Complete 10 hours of leadership practice (practical component) in the winter semester
- Self-reflection exercises throughout the challenge
Practical application can be fulfilled in three different ways, but ten hours of practical application must be completed by the end of March to complete the challenge. You can choose to volunteer in a leadership role, participate in leadership simulation sessions, or have a one-on-one leadership coaching session.
- Volunteering in a leadership role: Practice application of the leadership skills you developed in the first semester. Roles must be approved through the Student Development Programmer to make sure that it is suitable for practical experience. Roles must have a leadership component in order to be approved.
- Leadership simulation sessions: Groups will participate in guided leadership tasks that are focused on different leadership competencies. Leaders will rotate for each activity to give each participant a chance to lead. Each session will be three hours (with half hour break), and participants will be expected to complete all four sessions.
- One-on-one leadership coaching: Choose to have a mentor coach you in further honing your leadership skills. This is a great option for those who would like to develop skills in a specific field or area of study. One-on-one leadership coaching is in partnership with the Harry G. Schaefer Mentorship Program at Mount Royal University. MRU students must register in this mentorship opportunity in the Fall semester. This program is available to students in their 3rd and 4th year from all disciplines. The program aims to be a transformative experience for participants — students and mentors alike. Students and mentors who are matched will be required to complete a two hour orientation in the fall. Mentoring pairs meet from January-June for approximately 2 hours per month.
Each participant will complete the Clifton Strengths for Students assessment at no cost to the student (normally a $27 /student). This assessment is based on more than 50 years of research in a variety of team settings (business, familial, non-profit, and more). To date, Clifton Strengths has helped more than 22 million people around the world discover their talents and build strength on teams with teammates, managers, and leaders. You will receive two specialized reports (Signature Theme Report & Strengths Insight Report) which not only lists your top five talent themes, but also provides both a generalized and customized descriptor of each talent.
The Pinnacle Leadership Challenge will begin with you completing Gallup’s Clifton Strengths assessment profile. You will be then connected with the SAMRU in-house Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, who will supply you with an access code to get you started, including detailed instructions and deadlines for completing the assessment. In order to complete and move through the Pinnacle program, Gallup’s Clifton Strengths assessment must be completed prior to participating in the Leadership Workshops. See the Student Services Manager for further Pinnacle program details.
Workshop sessions will be focused on one of the three key areas of leadership: self-awareness, building relationships and communication. Examples of some sessions include: strengths, talents, self-care, team building, conflict resolution, and effective listening.
Yes! All Mount Royal students are eligible to attend our workshops. The only exception to this is the Strengths Application workshops (Talents, Teams, and Strengths), which are restricted to Challenge participants only. To register for any other workshop, fill out the form. If you’re interested in more than one workshop, consider enrolling in the Pinnacle Leadership Challenge to receive the full benefits of this program by September 30th.
