Executive Leadership Skills for Senior Management

Introduction

The Executive Leadership Skills for Senior Management course is designed for senior leaders, executives, and top-level managers who wish to enhance their leadership capabilities, drive organizational success, and inspire their teams to reach higher levels of performance. Over five days, this course will provide participants with the necessary tools, strategies, and mindset to lead with confidence, navigate complex business environments, and build a sustainable and impactful leadership style. By combining advanced leadership theories, practical tools, and real-world case studies, this course aims to equip senior managers with the skills required to make high-level decisions, manage organizational change, and foster innovation while maintaining a strong focus on achieving business goals.

Course Objectives

By the end of this five-day course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand Advanced Leadership Theories: Gain in-depth knowledge of leadership theories and models, and understand how to apply them to lead effectively at a senior level.
2. Develop Strategic Vision: Learn how to develop, communicate, and execute a clear and compelling strategic vision for their organization or department.
3. Enhance Decision-Making Skills: Strengthen decision-making capabilities in complex and high-stakes environments, incorporating data, intuition, and long-term goals.
4. Lead Organizational Change: Learn how to lead and manage organizational change, ensuring smooth transitions while minimizing resistance.
5. Build High-Performance Teams: Understand how to create and sustain high-performing teams, fostering collaboration, accountability, and results.
6. Foster Innovation and Adaptability: Cultivate an innovative mindset to help organizations adapt to changing market dynamics and seize new opportunities.
7. Master Emotional Intelligence: Develop a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ) to navigate interpersonal dynamics, improve relationships, and lead with empathy.
8. Enhance Communication and Influence: Improve communication skills and learn how to influence others at all levels of the organization, including stakeholders and external partners.
9. Align Leadership with Organizational Culture: Learn how to align leadership style with the organizational culture to drive alignment and performance across all levels of the organization.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Executive Leadership

• Introduction to Executive Leadership: The role of senior leadership in shaping organizational success and culture.
• Key Leadership Theories: Overview of transformational, transactional, servant, and adaptive leadership models, and how to apply them to the executive role.
• Developing Strategic Leadership: Building the mindset and skill set for long-term strategic thinking and execution.
• Leadership vs. Management: Differentiating between leadership and management, and understanding when to use each approach effectively.
• Self-Assessment: Leadership style and strengths assessment to help identify areas for personal growth.
• Interactive Activity: Participants will assess their current leadership styles and discuss how to adapt them to their organization’s needs.

Day 2: Strategic Vision and Decision Making

• Strategic Thinking and Vision Development: Techniques for developing a compelling vision that aligns with organizational goals.
• Long-Term Strategic Planning: Crafting, communicating, and executing a long-term strategy that aligns with the organization’s mission and values.
• Complex Decision Making: Tools and frameworks for making high-level decisions in ambiguous and complex business environments (e.g., decision trees, cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment).
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging data analytics to inform executive decision-making.
• Risk Management: How to identify, assess, and mitigate risks in decision-making processes.
• Case Study: Analyzing a real-world scenario where executive decision-making played a critical role in the success or failure of a strategy.

Day 3: Leading Organizational Change and Building High-Performance Teams

• Leading Organizational Change: Understanding the change process and how to lead organizations through transitions while maintaining morale and engagement.
• Overcoming Resistance to Change: Strategies for addressing and overcoming resistance to change at the executive level.
• Building High-Performance Teams: How to build and sustain high-performing teams through trust, accountability, and a results-driven approach.
• Team Dynamics and Collaboration: Managing diverse teams, enhancing collaboration, and resolving conflicts to drive team performance.
• Empowering Others to Lead: Developing leadership capabilities within teams and encouraging a culture of leadership throughout the organization.
• Workshop: Participants will design an action plan for managing a specific change initiative within their organization, including strategies for team engagement and overcoming resistance.

Day 4: Emotional Intelligence and Effective Communication

• Understanding Emotional Intelligence (EQ): The role of emotional intelligence in leadership and decision-making.
• Developing EQ: Strategies for improving self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills to become a more effective leader.
• Building Trust and Relationships: How to foster trust and build meaningful relationships with colleagues, subordinates, and external stakeholders.
• Effective Communication Strategies: Best practices for communicating clearly and persuasively with different audiences, including team members, senior executives, and external stakeholders.
• Influencing and Negotiating: Techniques for influencing others and negotiating successfully in complex, high-pressure situations.
• Practical Exercise: Role-playing scenarios that focus on emotional intelligence and communication in leadership contexts.

Day 5: Innovation, Adaptability, and Aligning Leadership with Culture

• Fostering Innovation: How to lead innovation and create a culture that encourages creativity, risk-taking, and new ideas.
• Adaptability in Leadership: The importance of adaptability in a rapidly changing business environment and how to lead through uncertainty.
• Aligning Leadership with Organizational Culture: Understanding the organization’s culture and aligning leadership strategies to support and strengthen it.
• Building a Sustainable Leadership Legacy: How to create a lasting impact through leadership, ethical decision-making, and mentorship.
• Personal Leadership Development Plan: Participants will develop a personal leadership development plan, identifying areas for growth and actionable steps for continued improvement.
• Course Wrap-Up and Final Discussion: Review of key takeaways from the course, final Q&A session, and peer feedback on leadership strategies.