Description

Course Description

Leaders are expected to be able to elevate their thinking from a tactical or operational perspective to a more strategic perspective, allowing them to see “the bigger picture.” In addition, leading the human side of a transformative change can be one of the most challenging parts of leadership. This combined course is designed for people who want to be able to move beyond day-to-day, reactionary thinking to a more long-term and future-focused perspective. It enables you to mitigate these challenges of change by embracing and adopting a set of proven practices and principles. It is designed for senior and mid-level leaders and managers who want to lead people more effectively through change and transition.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Differentiate between tactical approaches and strategic approaches to thinking
Use questioning as a method to clearly articulate the strategic interests of your team, department, or organization
Identify strategic leverage points within the organization to advance a mission and vision
Describe and interpret environmental factors that influence strategic thinking
Compare strategic options to make effective decisions
Forecast the ripple effects of strategic decisions
Identify detractors that commonly prevent strategic thinking
Draw connections and strategically think through how to apply your learning
Examine the paradoxical elements of leading change efforts
Define “culture-based”, particularly the importance of symbols and artifacts in relation to culture as well as individual and group identity
Describe the role of the leader in establishing trust in order to gain credibility in the change process
Articulate the importance of leadership presence and authenticity in gaining others’ buy-in
Understand the role of empathy and people-oriented practices when leading others through change and transition
Describe your change style and the implications of respective styles
Identify people-oriented transition issues and plans to mitigate them

COURSE TOPICS INCLUDE

Definitions of operational, tactical, and strategic thinking
Methods for gaining a strategic perspective
Strategic elements of an organizational system
Environmental factors in the strategic landscape
Strategic leverage points
Decision making from a strategic perspective
Forecasting the cause and effect of strategic decisions
Barriers to strategic thinking
Five paradoxes of leading change efforts
Organizational leadership and the importance of trust
Trust as part of change and the human experience
Leadership presence and authenticity
Maintaining an understanding of the organization
Working on multiple levels of culture
The importance of understanding values within cultures
Influencing and leading culture
Working with subcultures