CMI Level 7 - Senior Leadership Programme

BECOME AN EXCEPTIONAL LEADER

Leadership quite simply is about inspiring and influencing people. What separates good leaders from great leaders is the ability to reflect, grow and continuously develop their leadership approach within a constantly changing business environment. Great leaders have the approach, attitude and ability to define a vison, create a plan and inspire a team to deliver success. Strong leadership is the critical factor in an organisations ability to deliver on their strategic vision. While leaders set the direction, they must also use management skills to guide their people to the right destination. It is essential that Directors and organisational leaders have the leadership and management skills to maximise resources, overcome challenges and drive the business forward towards an ambitious and attractive strategic vision.

BACKGROUND

The Senior Leadership Programme gives experienced general managers and senior executives the opportunity to take time out from their professional and personal lives and dedicate themselves to their continued professional development in an enhanced learning environment. It focuses on the leaders’ role in driving the organisation and delivering success. In addition to learning to think differently and improve their leadership plans, delegates will benefit from discussions and exchange with like-minded people and outstanding tutors.

The programme will help Senior organisational leaders reflect on their leadership capabilities and develop a better understanding of their strengths, weaknesses and influence on others. Participants will gain an insight in to their role in building a performance focused culture and how to maximise internal resources to build high performing teams. The course has been designed to help leaders gain a better understand of their own corporate dynamics within their senior management teams and enable you to evaluate and improve your personal approach to leadership

Participants will get the chance to reflect and analyse leadership and different leadership approaches. The Programme will help attendees develop a sound understanding of effective leadership and how they can adapt and develop their own approach to leadership within their organisation.

At this level, the Programme will focus on individual self-awareness and the emotional response to a range of work-based scenarios and the effect this has on the decision-making process. A range of theories will be used to expand and challenge pre-conceptions of current leadership practices.

Whether you’re an experienced long serving senior leader, newly promoted or appointed or aspiring to a senior role, this Programme will give you a fresh and unique insight in to challenging but critical role of strong leadership in successful organisations. You will be encouraged to consider your own role, team and organisation, bringing relevant issues and challenges to share, discuss and develop solutions. This programme will give you the essential knowledge, skills and confidence to improve your performance as a senior leader.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this Programme, delegates will:

• A clear understanding of the senior leaders’ role in overall leadership and effective management of the organisation
• Understand the concept of strong leadership and the different approaches to leadership.
• Have developed an understanding of the differences and conditions of strategic leadership.
• Greater confidence in applying strategic leadership and management skills and competencies.
• Have developed the required skills and increased awareness for what is expected to successfully manage teams that operate in the emerging digital and global economy.
• An understanding of relevant and practical leadership and management tools and techniques to use in the workplace.
• An ability to build, develop and inspire resilience in to the workforce.
• Be better placed to reflect and improve their own leadership and management skills.
• Understand how to inspire, influence and build high performing effective teams.
• Have gained the skills necessary to lead and to evaluate their impact on the organisation.
• Be able to deploy a range of effective management techniques and tools.
• Have improved problem solving and analytical thinking skills.
• Have increased confidence to challenge and influence Executive level decisions and company direction.
• Have coherent strategies for shaping and influencing change and transformation.

Overview

This Programme reflects current practice in Leadership and Management. Participants can expect to engage in a range of group and individual workshop activities where role play, scenario setting, thought leadership activity and didactic learning will take place.

By attending this Programme, you will gain invaluable insights in to new ways of working, innovative concepts and the latest theories that can be applied instantly on returning to your own organisation.

The key objectives for the programme are:

• Delegates have the opportunity to reflect on their performance and to develop strategies to increase their levels of insight into their behaviours and actions.
• Delegates develop their understanding of the expectations placed on strategic leaders and how these differ from operational management*
• All delegates understand the key behaviours, attributes and skills of successful leaders to enable them to lead in their strategic roles.
• Participants apply the knowledge and skills they develop on the programme to develop strategic plans and a vision for their area of service

*A key message across the programme is that delegates recognise their impact in a senior leadership role and build on their existing experience to work strategically.

• The programme comprises different taught sessions delivered over 4 days. The taught sessions will be underpinned by practical activities, opportunity for discussion and reflection on their performance. The delegates will also receive additional resources, links and reading that will support them in an accredited pathway
• Knowledge and skills from all the sessions will apply throughout the leadership pathway and will and inspire participants to have the confidence to lead in their areas. A focus throughout the sessions is leading by example and forming a culture aligned to achieving the priorities of their own organisation.

Agenda

The table below includes an overview of suggested content for the sessions. Content may be subject to change following feedback and session planning. Throughout each session facilitators will discuss the application of topics discussed to the workplace, everyday conversations and applying policies.

Measureable objectives for each session will be devised when the content is confirmed.

Day 1: Self as Leader

Introduction

The introduction is designed to set participants expectations for the programme, discuss the learning outcomes and what they need to do to achieve the qualification, if appropriate. The delegates will establish how they will work as a learning community

Management expectations in the strategic environment

This session will introduce the delegates to the role of the manager and will explore the differences between strategic and operational management. The group will analyse the changing expectations placed on them in their role and what they can do to meet these. The session will focus on key management behaviours and the impact they have on organisational success.

Acting as a senior leader

Building on the management expectations, the delegates will have the opportunity to explore the role of leadership at their level. The group will diagnose the leadership behaviours and analyse their own performance against these. The session will be underpinned by recognised and current theory relating to leadership including the critique of different models and approaches. The session will encourage delegates to apply different leadership styles to their practice, such as coaching and story-telling.

Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

Personal insight is a key area for leaders at any level and the delegates will be introduced to tools and techniques to help them to consider their own impact and how they work with others. The session will support them to get feedback from others, develop themselves as reflective practitioners and practise key inter and intra personal skills.

Day 2: Working in the Strategic Environment

Understanding organisational culture

Every organisation has its own distinct culture, be that positive or less positive. This can be felt in every interaction it has on an internal and external level. Using different approaches to consider the culture of each delegate's organisation will allow the group to reflect on their own area of responsibility. A key element of this will be to support each delegate to complete a cultural diagnostic of their organisation.
Strategic influencing

Using power as a starting point, this session will allow the delegates to consider their levels of power and the different ways this can be used. Building on influencing, and using different method of self-analysis, the delegates will reflect on their own approach to influencing, using different strategies to use in different situations. They will also analyse the challenges and risks associated with their own position and their own levels of impact.
Collaboration and team working

Delegates will analyse the key concepts of collective and distributed leadership in the context of their teams. Using different methods of analysis, the delegates will assess the climate for team-based working within both the teams they lead and are a member of, building on techniques to collaborate across the system.

Acting politically

The final session will focus on the challenges that are present when working in the strategic environment. Acting with sensitivity and having an awareness of the political world that happens in both the internal and external environment. Delegates will assess the nature of these relationships and how best to make these a success. A key factor is that to gain insight into the changing political environment that exists at senior level.

Day 3: Business Planning and Building a Strategy

Systems thinking

As organisations become more complex, the relationship between systems, processes and boundaries are more and more prevalent. This session will give the support delegates need to deconstruct their organisation and to use systems thinking as a technique to manage the complexity. This goes further into the relationships between organisations and there will be the opportunity to analyse the relationships between comparable organisations with similar goals.
Developing a strategy

Without a clear strategy organisations fail. Using the key components of successful business planning processes, the delegates will develop a strategy for their own area that fits into the wider priorities of their organisation. The session will analyse the challenges of transferring strategy into operations and will help create a plan where there is clarity about the direction of their areas of responsibility.
Creating a vison

Closely linked to the strategy is your own vision for your organisation. Using appreciative techniques and transformational approaches to planning, delegates will be supported to produce a vison that is linked to the strategy and can be communicated through their organisation.
Knowledge management

If organisations had clarity about the knowledge within it, the performance would improve dramatically. Knowledge management links to an understanding of expertise but goes deeper by considering systems, processes and practises that take place every day. By understanding the knowledge in their organisation the delegates will be better placed to use it more effectively.

Day 4: Improvement Methodology and Delivering Excellence

Improvement techniques

The final day will focus on developing and improving services. In order for services to develop, there needs to be insight into the current and future drivers facing organisations. This session will support the delegates to analyse the internal and external factors facing their organisation. Using practical service improvement tools and techniques to apply to work-based problems, delegates will plan real life improvements that they can evaluate.
Thinking differently - building creativity and innovation

This session builds on the improvement techniques. All too often organisation and leaders within it follow similar thought processes for improvement and get similar results as a consequence. This session builds on different creative techniques, for example using de Bono's methodology, to challenge the delegates to think in a different way.
Delivering high performance

This session will support the delegates to instil a culture of high performance in their areas. Using the principles of marginal gains to act as incremental to performance can have as much impact as delivering large scale change. The delegates will apply these principles to their own areas of responsibility.
Leading and managing change

Using our leadership behaviours can only go so far when delivering change. This session will give the delegates the chance to analyse different models and approaches to change management. This will allow them to select an approach that best suits them in the implementation for their project. Having awareness of any preferred methodology from their organisation, they will reflect on how well it is used and how they can use it to deliver their projects.

Tutor(s)

Rob Booth - Development Consultant

Learn Grow Succeed

Rob has a passion for working with leaders to reflect and build on their levels of influence and to develop a mindset of empowerment and improvement from top to bottom of organisations.

His 20 years’ experience includes leading on a wide range of development programmes for leaders at all levels of organisations, with a particular focus on delivering work that is meaningful to the participant and adds real value to their organisation. Rob also managed the North West Mentoring Scheme and works as an Executive Coach and Mentor across the UK. Qualified in MBTI, FIRO B and motivational interviews to complement his approach that helps people thrive in their roles and achieve their full potential.

Rob lectures on different academic programmes including the MBA, Masters and PG Certificate and also works in consultative roles with private, public and third sectors organisations

Benefits

Through interactive presentations and open discussion and group work, the facilitators will deliver thought provoking sessions, providing you with the key information, details and facts needed in an engaging and memorable environment.

• To ensure rich discussion there is a suggested maximum of 20 attendees per session.
• The programme will be interactive and participant lead – facilitators will adapt to meet participant need.
• Each session will explore topics pertinent to leadership and management as well as provide practical skills development to equip participants with tools to apply in their everyday practice.

On completion of the in>the Lead Programme, delegates will:

• Understand themselves as leaders; knowing their strengths and weaknesses and be able to use them to their advantage;
• Manage strategic priorities, develop and lead effective teams and establish sustained competitive advantage in your organisation.
• Have gained insight into the understanding and execution of the day-to-day challenges of leading a diverse workforce.
• Have developed the required skills and increased awareness for what is expected to successfully manage teams that operate in the emerging digital and global economy.
• Be able to demonstate skills in the application of tools to leverage improvements and business benefts to their organisation.
• Have gained the skills necessary to lead and to evaluate their impact on the organisation.
• Have developed clear demonstrable skills in the application of tools to leverage improvements and business benefits to their organisation
• Have learnt how to lead more strategically and to evaluate their impact on the organisation to leverage business benefit.

This Senior Leadership Programme will bring benefits to both you and your organisation. With formal training in Leadership, you will improve your personal effectiveness, confidence and influence at a senior and Executive level. Additionally, you will bring a fresh perspective back to your organisation along with innovative models, concepts and ideas to improve the performance and effectiveness of your organisation through a deeper appreciation and understanding of different leadership and management approaches. Your improved understanding will enable you to position yourself for an accelerated path to new heights, either in your current organisation or in a new setting altogether.

Who Should Attend?

This Programme is aimed towards Directors and senior leaders who would like to up-skill and gain a greater understanding of the roles as an organisational leader. The Programme has been designed to provide aspiring, newly appointed and long serving leaders with a unique insight in to effective management and leadership strategies, tools and techniques. The Programme will provide a fresh perspective on the expectations of leaders and provide guidance and support for leaders to grow and excel. Leaders looking to improve their professional effectiveness and influence will benefit from this well structed, engaging and informative Programme.
Accreditation

The sessions are designed to support the delegates to achieve a recognised leadership qualification (accredited by either CMI or ILM) should they wish to and will incorporate the assessment criteria to meet Level 7.

Participants deciding to opt for the non-accredited route still benefit from the CPD points for attending this Programme.

Enquire about this programme