Josh Jehle, graduating student at the Asper School and UM Bisons Volleyball libero, looks back on a journey of confidence and leadership.
In a boardroom, we wouldn’t normally think of the person in the back of the room as a leader. But on a volleyball court, the opposite is true
On a volleyball team, the libero is the player wearing a different colour than the rest of the team and the person who’s always posted at the back row in a defensive role.
For the last five years, that player on the Bisons men’s volleyball team has been Asper School of Business student Josh Jehle, who graduates with a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Spring Convocation.
Despite holding the defensive, non-showy role, Josh’s time at the Asper School combined with his time in Bisons volleyball has taught him what it means to be a leader on and off the court.
It’s next to impossible in high-level volleyball to score points as a libero. “You can only just try to keep the other team from getting points,” he says. “So at times it can be frustrating, but there's also a responsibility to it.”
Look at it this way: without having to worry about scoring, a libero sees a different perspective on the action. Part of Josh’s job is to communicate with offensive players: where to hit, based on gaps in the opposing team’s positioning; what play to watch out for; or just to be a supportive teammate whether everything is going right or wrong.
Being in the back doesn’t just give you a good perspective on the play, but also the players.
You get to know the different styles of how your teammates work best—a learned skill which Josh also credits to group projects he completed at the Asper School
Asper courses prioritize experiential learning—learning by doing. Work can often be easy, or at least clear cut, but people are hard. Navigating our varied skillsets, contradictions and quirks is a major workplace skill.
“If you’re having an off day, your teammates have your back and put in a little bit of extra to make things run smoothly and vice versa, right?” he said. “I thought about that a lot as I was doing a bunch of group projects in my final semester.”
Looking back to his first days at the Asper School, Josh compared it to his experience on the Bisons volleyball team.
In university sports, it’s common for even third-year athletes to sit out while more senior players have much of the playing time. But that wasn’t the case for Josh’s stint on the Bisons.
When Josh started, much of the starting lineup was made up of junior players, including him. He lovingly describes the team from his first few years, as a “group of nobodies,” which, despite their best efforts, didn’t win any major championships.
Like any first-year student, he felt the butterflies before games and classes alike—the sensation that he was out of place and faking it.
But with every dig he made on the court and every corporate finance lecture he tackled (and found surprisingly fascinating), Josh went from faking it to really, truly, not faking it.
And in his last two years, the impenetrable character, confidence and chemistry he and his teammates built through their “group of nobodies” years started manifesting itself on the scoreboard.
This year, Josh’s last, the Bisons men’s volleyball team won silver in the Canada West championships, sending them to the national championships in Windsor, ON. There, they made to the bronze medal game. Win or lose, Josh knew it would be his last game for the Bisons.
And yes. They won the game in three sets straight. But what really mattered was the community around him.
He thought about his mom and his girlfriend who were in the crowd. He thought about his teammates.
“I just to kind of took the time to look, make eye contact with them a little more, and just have fun and really enjoy it.”
UM Bisons are at the centre of it all, making a difference here in Manitoba and around the world. Many graduates recognized at Convocation will stay in Manitoba, supplying high-demand skills to the labour market and contributing to UM’s economic impact on our community.
For nearly 90 years, Asper School of Business students and alumni have brought bold ideas to life every day. Our active community of alumni can be found across continents, industries, all the way from the store floor to the C-suite. Be part of a vibrant community of entrepreneurs and emerging business leaders. Learn more about Asper programs of study today!
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