UT Tyler Trains the Next Generation of Business Leaders
College implements curriculum based on leadership book by Dave Anderson
TYLER (October 10, 2022) – The University of Texas at Tyler Soules College of Business has incorporated the work of author Dave Anderson to help build leadership skills in students. After a thorough review of the introductory curriculum taught to incoming majors, the college has now implemented a leadership component to the mandatory freshman course.
Becoming a Leader of Character: 6 Habits That Make or Break a Leader at Work and at Home, is the book co-authored by Fortune 50 leader and motivational speaker and trainer, Dave Anderson, that is being used in the course. Anderson, the owner of Dave Anderson Leadership Solutions, is a longtime friend and advocate of the college.
While many leadership books focus on developing managerial competencies, Anderson’s book focuses on character development in leadership. The book is designed to develop ‘Six Habits of Character’ by providing small, daily exercises that strengthen character muscles for the bigger character tests all leaders face.
“We are grateful to Dave Anderson for his support of UT Tyler and for his dedication to our Soules College of Business students,” said UT Tyler President Kirk A. Calhoun, MD, FACP.
The curriculum addition was encouraged by business leaders throughout the East Texas community, as well as Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) professionals, who have noticed a lack of character development being taught in business schools across the nation, said Krist Swimberghe, DBA, dean of the Soules College.
“This decision to add Mr. Anderson’s book into our freshman course curriculum is proof of ensuring student success early on, and that we are listening to our friends and constituents in the Tyler community and throughout the country,” Swimberghe said. “Through this leadership training, we are preparing the next leaders, not just the next ‘9 to 5’ employees.”
A West Point graduate and decorated combat veteran, Anderson spent 20 years in a multi-national Fortune 50 company with 15 years in various leadership positions, leading him to earn that company’s highest sales leadership award four times in an eight-year period.
Since launching Dave Anderson Leadership Solutions, Anderson has authored nine books as well as more than 900 articles on leadership and personal growth on his website,
becomingaleaderofcharacter.com. He trains leaders nationwide in businesses, law enforcement, fire services and other government entities.
For more information about the course, contact Roger Sims, UT Tyler academic adviser and instructor for the course, at 903.566.7363 or rsims@uttyler.edu.
With a mission to improve educational and healthcare outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center). Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.
