Ball State University
 "Emerging Leaders" 
Development Program

Program Overview

Today's leaders are expected to demonstrate an increasing breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, lead through constant change, and manage increasing demands at a faster pace than ever before. Experts in the management field believe that cultivating and sustaining such leadership qualities in today's complex business environment is the key to survival. They expound on the fact that leadership development is a necessity no matter what the size of company.

Even though much of leadership development can be accomplished within the companies themselves, there is a growing demand for management education and training programs to be offered through universities. Yet these programs must result in immediate actions that leaders can take to improve company performance. To help accomplish this, Ball State University's Center for Organizational Resources (COR) has designed this leadership program that is based on real business issues and strategic initiatives while incorporating some theoretical but proven management concepts.

This program was developed in part with a group of executives and training directors from Indiana companies. These individuals identified the key competencies required of a leader and defined the audience for this program as those managers or leaders who will be leading their companies in three to five years. We call them "emerging leaders."  It is a program that can help to transform a functional manager into an organizational leader.

This 36-hour program covers a unique set of leadership skills, focusing on strategic thinking, the people side of change, personal awareness and growth, the importance of developing and mentoring your employees, enhancing client relationships, and managing innovation.

Participants

This program is designed for those individuals who:

• are deemed high-potential employees who will be leading their organizations in three to five years;
• hold mid- to upper-level management or executive positions;
• earned a degree five or more years ago (or have the equivalent work experience) and wish to update their knowledge base; and/or
• have a liberal arts, engineering, and/or technical background and want to develop an integrated view of business operations.
  

Learning Objectives

COR's approach to learning is to provide a select faculty with good teaching skills and expertise in the adult learner environment. The instructors will show you as a participant how to make sense of your own experiences. They will draw on your experiences to demonstrate how you can turn your knowledge into concrete, practical, action-oriented strategies.

One of the features of this program's learning environment is the chance for participants to interact with executives and managers of other organizations. This will enable them to work together on common issues and will make it possible for each participant to discover answers to his/her own company's important business challenges and opportunities. By doing this, each participant will develop a new mind-set and set of behaviors and skills necessary to execute a new leadership style.

Courses will include interactive discussions, lectures, self-assessment tools, background readings, and case study exercises.  Pre-course work may be assigned.

Program Agenda

Leadership and Change Management
 
Intrapreneurship: Applying Entrepreneurial
Skills within Organizations

Marketing and Building Client Relationships

 Fostering Personal and Organizational Transformation: Appreciative Inquiry

Strategic Thinking and Shared Vision

Developing Your Employees and Yourself: Strategies and Tools

All courses or modules will include a combination of interactive discussion, lecture, background readings, and case studies exercises. 

For more information on bringing this customized program into your business, please contact Delaina Boyd at (765) 285-2770 or email her at dboyd@bsu.edu