Leadership Discoveries #35: The First Rung: Why Internships Still Matter with Professor Brian Harney, Dublin City University Business School
What is Leadership Discoveries?
Leadership Discoveries™ explores how accomplished leaders exercise judgement, navigate complexity and create impact. Drawing on her experience as a senior executive, executive advisor and leadership scholar, I bring listeners inside candid conversations with CEOs, founders, board leaders and innovators. Together we explore the decisions, experiences and leadership thinking that shape organisations, careers and performance. Leadership Discoveries is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your favourite podcast platform.
Episode #35
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series on internships, and what happens when students move from the classroom into the workplace. Brian Harney is Head of School for Work, Psychology, and Strategy and Professor in Strategy & HRM (Human Resource Management) at Dublin City University Business School (DCU). He is founder and former Programme Director of the award-winning BSc in Digital Business & Innovation and former Programme Director of the award-winning MSc in HRM. Brian’s research focuses on the intersection of Strategy & HRM, with a particular focus on SMEs, growth, and knowledge-intensive sectors. Hear the critical thinking skills students learn in internships, how their perspective on failure changes, what makes a genuinely developmental experience in an internship, how to infuse a mentorship component into your internship programme, and how present & future leaders can navigate our complex world.
Here's a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:
How important are internships to college programmes?
What critical thinking skills do students learn in internships?
How do internships change how students view failure?
What can an organisation gain from having a student internship programme?
How do students change after completing their internships?
Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Brian at DCU.ie and on LinkedIn.
Check out the episode and show notes below.
Show Notes
The First Rung: Why Internships Still Matter with Professor Brian Harney, Dublin City University Business School
[0:27] Welcome back to Leadership Discoveries!
[0:46] Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Brian at DCU.ie and on LinkedIn
[1:58] How did Brian create a programme during COVID?
[3:02] How important are internships to college programmes?
[3:42] Why are there so many challenges for SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises)?
[4:40] What did Brian hope the programme would bring to students?
[7:52] What critical thinking skills do students learn in internships?
[8:58] How important are part-time work experiences before students do internships?
[12:28] How do internships change how students view failure?
[13:57] What goes into writing a good email?
[16:14] What makes a genuine developmental experience in an internship?
[19:52] What can an organisation gain from having a student internship programme?
[21:24] How do students change after completing their internships?
[25:49] What do students think about AI (Artificial Intelligence)?
[28:51] How will AI impact critical thinking skills?
[31:37] What do leaders need to know as we navigate this uncertain world?
[34:59] Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Brian at DCU.ie and on LinkedIn
[35:17] Subscribe to or Follow Leadership Discoveries on your favorite podcast platform and leave a rating and/or review for the show