Modern Advances in Leadership (Certificate Program)

Module 1: Current Issues in Leadership

• The Essence of Leadership - Given the changes in today’s environment, the leadership landscape is significantly different today. This introductory segment of the program examines the new challenges confronted by leaders in today’s context, the ABCs of a true leader, and the latest trends in leadership. Participants also develop a framework of their personal leadership goals and actions required to become better leaders in their organization.
• Strategic Choices Workshop - Participants will develop a personal and professional plan under the guidance of our professional leadership coaches. After engaging with coaches and sharing information about their work experiences, background, and dream jobs, participants will be paired with coaches who have mutual interests. They will meet with their professional coaches three times during the semester.
• Leading Teams and Increasing Productivity - Building and leading effective teams is one of the most complex and critical challenges facing organizational leaders. In this session, participants will: (1) gain an understanding of the stages 2 of team formation, (2) gain an understanding of the effective tools used to build, participate in, and lead diverse teams in different contexts, (3) understand how to effectively manage and motivate influential team members, and, (4) understand how to inspire team members to enhance and maximize individual performance within teams. Participants will also develop a set of skills associated with teamwork, such as diversity awareness, effective communication, negotiations, trust-building, emotional intelligence, conflict management, and managing virtual teams and remote workers.
• Legal Issues in Human Resources - Employment litigation and resolution in the United States cost corporations millions of dollars each year. This workshop uses an experiential approach to develop an understanding of some of the best practices in compliance and litigation avoidance within several HRM functions to achieve long-term sustainability in organizations in the U.S. Implications for U.S. companies that are going global and non-U.S. companies operating in the U.S. are also discussed.

Module 2: Advancing in your Organization

• Multigenerational Implications for The Future @ Work -There has been increased interest in the role of multi-generations in the workforce. Despite the media attention, some researchers dispute whether generation gaps matter or even exist in the workplace. This seminar discusses the landscape of today’s organizations and uncovers myths about how multi- generations approach work and their view of leadership. Organizational implications of the future at work are also discussed.
• Integrative Negotiation: A Tool for Leaders - Great leaders know that integrating interests, cultural competencies, and using principled negotiations get win-win results. Participants will experience a hands-on lesson that will develop skills for achieving this goal locally or in an international setting. Everyone negotiates on a daily basis, so why not improve outcomes and demonstrate leadership?
• Mastering Innovation: Understanding and Tapping into the Entrepreneurial Mindset - In today’s economy, business leaders are dependent upon innovation and creative problem-solving in order to stay competitive. While opportunity, resources, agility, and a diversified workforce are vital ingredients for innovation, it is the entrepreneur and his/her team that are the recipe for success.  Self-knowledge and intellectual honesty are the cornerstones for a strong entrepreneurial leader.  Participants will learn about their own entrepreneurial profile and the latest evidence-based research that defines the entrepreneurial mindset and identifies competencies for enhancing human performance in corporate entrepreneurship and business venturing.

Module 3: Implementation

• Strategic Thinking in Your Company - The best strategy occurs at the intersection of understanding one’s company and the opportunities in one’s industry. Thinking Strategically is a seminar that covers the state-of-the-art techniques for identifying opportunities in the industry and for assessing the competencies of one’s company. The seminar will be based on a model called the Strategy Process Cycle. During the seminar, techniques will be presented as stand-alone skills that you can practice and take back to your company as part of your strategic planning. 
• From Blue Ocean Strategy to Blue Ocean Leadership - Is there a shortage of top talent or a shortage of motivation? The Blue Ocean Strategy framework transformed the way many companies approached their competition and markets. In this seminar we explore how Blue Ocean Strategy concepts and analytical tools can create a vibrant workforce, thereby releasing “oceans” of energy and unlocking new profitable opportunities.
• Participants’ Personal Action Plan - After reflecting on each of the workshops and on the meetings with professional coaches, individuals will present their personal action plans to the group.