Leadership Skills

NOLS Wilderness First Responder trainings aren't just for outdoor enthusiasts—they're also great prep for humanitarian work in disaster zones.

Senior Student Program Coordinator & academic advisor for Canfield Business Honors Program at UT Austin sees her students grow in surprising ways after leadership training in NOLS courses.

NOLS Instructor & Research Manager Shannon Rochelle offers Backpacker some tips on recognizing and avoiding common leadership mistakes on hiking trips.

In Alaska I realized I might not be the most extroverted human, but I didn’t have to be. Someone else could do that and there would still be space—a need—for me.

How can NOLS courses help us plan for long duration space flight? Notre Dame PhD candidate Mallika Sarma does the research to find out.

USNA grad and Marine veteran Mike Titzer reflects on the lessons he learned on his student course and his return to Alaska as a NOLS instructor.

Jessey Jansen shares memories from her Women's Baja Sea Kayaking expedition.

NOLS grad Mairin Rogers shares what she learned on her Semester in Baja about being brave rather than constantly trying to achieve perfection.

Kenyan mountain guide and medic Carol Wanjiru shares her journey on a NOLS course for East African outdoor professionals.

Winter is ripe for lessons in expedition behavior (EB) for everyone, especially kids.

Now an associate professor at Western Carolina University, NOLS grad Andrew Bobilya still treasures the lessons he learned on his Baja sea kayaking course.

Skiing and winter camping are the bread and butter of NOLS winter instructor Kate Koons

Rebeca Espinosa, a NOLS Gateway Scholar, set off on her Wilderness Horsepacking and learned to find satisfaction in the hard work of horsepacking.

Leadership is about more than the designated leader—anyone can be in a leadership role at any moment.

On outdoor semester with NOLS, you'll learn to find navigate in the wilderness—which might just help you find clarity on your journey through life as well.

Research shows that NOLS semesters better equip students for real-world problem solving than traditional classroom-based courses.

NOLS instructor Liz Townsend believes the most important leadership lessons are learned outdoors—not in the business world (although they do apply there!)

Carolyn Highland reflects on one of her favorite days ever—ascending an unnamed peak with a student-only team on her NOLS semester—and its lasting impact.

Sarah Delany reflects on the most impactful—and toughest—day of the customized NOLS course she took with fellow Bates College students in the Adirondacks.

Breaking the norms of leadership styles helped this NOLS grad grow on an all-women's sea kayaking leadership course in Baja California, Mexico.

A Columbia Business School student shares the lessons he took home from a challenging backpacking expedition in Patagonia with NOLS.

Learning leadership doesn't have to wait till you're an adult—given the opportunity, teens show they're capable of good decision making and problem solving.

Want to take a NOLS course? Here's how to get your boss on board.

Stop! Before you make that decision—have you considered what type of decision-making strategy you're using and why?