AKIPRESS.COM - Minutes after entering a business management class at Gillette College (Wyoming), it was easy to see what the 12 Mongolian guests were. Their professions translate in any language, Daily Journal reported.

The higher education professionals – some who own and operate their own private universities and others who hold high positions in the Mongolian education department – quickly took on the demeanor of professors.

The group of education professionals, who arrived in Gillette January 15, has been involved in workshops and discussions on leadership and team building, along with a variety of other topics, at the Peregrine Leadership Institute in Gillette. They were guests in the first class of the spring semester in John McGuire's business management course on the evening of January 20.

McGuire is the new director of business education at Gillette College and his class will conduct a marketing research project about the college's cafeteria this spring, aided by Olin Oedekoven, who co-owns Peregrine and its worldwide college services wing.

Ultimately, students will share their research results with other officials in Mongolia through the International Finance and Economic Institute in a simulcast, Oedekoven said. He hopes Mongolian students will agree to do a similar project in their country to share with Gillette College students.

As part of that project, he had the Mongolian officials in Gillette talk to students about creating teams and teamwork as they prepare for the marketing research.

The Mongolian group has a total of about 40 academic degrees and many are presidents or vice presidents of public and private universities in their country, Oedekoven said. They are esteemed leaders in Mongolia. He urged the students to take advantage of the knowledge the group could provide them in the business world.

The Mongolian professors and university presidents spoke about values and how to select a team, how to encourage a team and how to handle difficulties as a leader. They stressed the need for communication, picking the right people with the right talents to be part of your team and knowing your own style as a leader. They also spoke about treating each person on the team with respect. Others stressed the need for team leaders to continue learning and acquiring knowledge, to use their experience to also learn new things and care for each team member.