ASCEND Executive Leadership Certificate Program

Most employees leave bosses, not jobs. Leaders have far more influence on their teams than they understand. This course is a primer for those new to management and a refresher for more seasoned leaders. Dealing with the fundamentals of leading teams to get results.

One of the fundamental differences between leadership and management is a vision. Understanding the direction an organization needs to go requires insight, judgment, and execution. The ability to provide strategic direction in certain and uncertain times is what separates leaders from managers. 

Leaders at all levels often must communicate to different audiences, often simultaneously. This course covers effective communication as it relates to individual, group, organizational, and strategic communication and communicating a long-term vision and direction.

Accountability has been turned into a dirty word. But what is accountability? Hint: it’s not blame and shame. Accountability is the process of helping people succeed. But what does accountability look like? How can we practice positive, preemptive accountability? How important is it for leaders to be accountable as they hold others accountable? 

Leading change is a specific skill set. How can you lead your organization through changes expected and unexpected? How can your leaders lead in an environment of rapid and non-stop change? Change leadership is essential in today’s environment and a reality for organizations seeking to retain competitive advantages. 

Organizational culture is central to employee engagement, morale, and productivity; not to mention hiring retaining top performers. We like to think of culture as the air of your organization, nobody notices it until it stinks! Culture is invisible and intangible while at the same time critical to the functioning of your organization. 

Leaders are communicators. Often leaders need to present their ideas in compelling and engaging ways to gain support, provide assurance, or encourage their organization. Here’s the catch, most people would rather die than present to a group. In this interactive course, participants learn how to use and apply a critical-thinking model that will become the starting point for workplace presentations. 

Many of today’s teams are geographically dispersed, culturally diverse, and/or represent multiple generations. This course is designed to help leaders foster communication, collaboration, and cohesion as they relate to developing high-performing, self-managing teams.