Next Level Leadership Session Descriptions

Session 1:Four Pillars of Leadership + Getting to Know Each Other
During this time we’ll talk about what you can expect from this class, and how our time together will impact them and potentially be very different than other classes.  We’ll also talk about the 4 Pillars of an Effective Leader as well as spend time for members of the cohort to get to know each other through the completion of their initial project. 


Session 2: Developing a Leader’s Mindset + Co-Active Leadership
Have you wondered why some Leaders are more successful than others? Why do some Leaders – even after attending a leadership conference, reading a book, or listening to a speaker – seem to unlock their potential and reach even greater heights with their Team, while others who took the EXACT SAME training struggle without any real results?

We have.

And it turns out that being a successful leader is LESS about learning something new that works and more about UNLEARNING something old that doesn't, and for most Leaders...that's a conversation around mindset.  During this section, we’ll talk about developing a leader’s mindset as well as identify some Co-Active Leadership Styles that will we believe will build and grow your success as a Leader.

Session 3: Guest Speaker (College Leader) - Becoming a Person of Influence @ Work
Our guest speaker will talk about how opportunities to lead and influence aren’t dependent upon having a formal title or even a team to lead. She/He will share her experiences with “leading from behind” as well as “from beside” and “out front”, and we will continue to discuss the characteristics a person of influence possesses as well as explore the 3 Types of Co-Active Leaders.

After the presentation, we’ll have an open forum where participants will share what resonated with them.   

Session 4: “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself”
This session will help participants discover how they get in the way of their own success and what they need to “unlearn” in order to move forward.  Using Dr. Joe Dispensa’s book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself, the group will take a “deep dive” into how individuals develop habits and patterns of being that hold them back, and how to get out of their own way long enough so new (more positive) patterns and ways of thinking can set in.

We’ll also talk about “Internal Saboteurs” as outlined by Shirzad Chamine in his work on Positive Intelligence. 

Session 5:Developing a Leader’s Mindset (Part II) + Official Rollout of Capstone Project
During this session, we’ll follow up on our previous conversation and review the assessment from the Positive Intelligence work (Internal Saboteurs).  We’ll also deep dive into the upcoming Capstone Project that each participant will be required to complete for graduation. 

Session 6: How to Talk So Others Will Listen (DISC)
Using the universal DISC tool, we’ll review the four main personality types and the “pros & cons” of each. We will explore how understanding the interpersonal dynamics of the personality types can help you become a better communicator and leader.  We will also discuss the Team Capstone Projects, and participants will be assigned to a team.

Session 7: Developing Your Leadership Style
Now is the time where we pull all of the proceeding work together into a prevailing Leadership Style.  We feel this is one of the hallmarks of this program, as it allows participants to pull all of their learning into a tangible “Leadership Style” that can be used and adjusted in a variety of circumstances at work. 

Session 8: Guest Speaker (College Leader) – Diversity & Inclusion Matters
This session will begin with a panel discussion on Diversity & Inclusion, the issues, the challenges, and the individual steps people can take to ensure they incorporate the tenants of diversity & inclusion in the workplace and beyond.

Session 8b: Diversity & Inclusion Matters
Following the presentation, we’ll have an open forum where participants will share what resonated with them. We will also build on the points the speakers made. During the team breakout, teams will start putting their presentations together.

Session 9: How to Overachieve w/o Over Committing - Unlocking the Leader Within
During this session, we’ll explore how to implement what we’ve learned without burning ourselves out in the process. We’ll discuss Jim Murphy’s “Three Great Adversaries,” to develop a mindset that will allow you to achieve your true potential. During the small group breakout, each participant will share an area in which he/she feels they may be overcommitting and what they can do to make changes.   During the team breakout sessions, teams will continue working on their projects and putting the presentation together.

Session 10: Guest Speaker – Collaborative Leadership: The Secret Ingredient for Successful Teams

As a Leader, one of our main objectives is developing a team where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  But how can you create such an environment of structure and accountability while at the same time giving team members the creativity and freedom to move forward?

Great question and one that our Guest Speaker will answer with her Collaborative Leadership Approach.

Session 10b: Leadership Lessons: Financial Documents & Data Analysis
Following the speaker’s presentation, we’ll have an open forum and build on the points the speaker made. During the team breakout, teams will continue working on the project and putting their presentations together.

Session 11: Guest Speaker (College Leader) – Importance of Critical Thinking & Problem Solving for Today's College Leader
This session’s speaker will discuss developing your critical thinking and problem-solving skills with a discussion on why these skills are essential for today's community college leader.

Session 11b: Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving
Following the speaker’s presentation, we’ll have an open forum and we will also build on the points the speaker made. During the team breakout, teams will continue working on the project and putting their presentations together.

Session 12: Presentation of Cohort Project
Teams will deliver their presentations. One Team will be selected to present at the AFC Annual Meeting in November.