Why Your Organization Needs Leadership Training Courses
Out of the many items on your to-do list for the new fiscal year, is developing and bolstering your workforce one of them?
This is the perfect time to analyze your workplace training and professional development needs. The Journal of Leadership Studies reported that the more a company focuses on internal professional growth, the better its sales, profits, and profit margins.
Benefits of professional development
When it comes to workforce training, Lee Stuart, leadership instructor at the KU Edwards Campus, sees firsthand the benefits of continued leadership and professional development.
“It is soft skills combined with an organization’s technical skills that distinguish great companies from the merely good,” said Stuart. “The missing ingredient in the conduct of modern business is emotional dexterity.”
Which soft skills are crucial in leadership training?
In the ever-changing, high-tech world we live in, employers are finding a gap in soft skills among many workers, especially young workers. Knowing how to effectively communicate, problem-solve, collaborate, and organize can make a big impact on employee success.
“While there are many areas of focus, the most sought-after leadership trainings include professional development focus on business presentation skills, developing emotional intelligence, and leading through times of change,” said Stuart.
Most-requested leadership topics at KUEC include:
1. How to develop business presentation skills. Don't be that person who puts an audience to sleep with a poorly organized business presentation, a stammering, "uh, um, you know," speaking style, and slides that feature a zillion words but no clear ideas. Here’s how you can quickly improve your presentation style.
2. How to develop emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, is an array of emotional and social competencies that determine how we relate to ourselves and others and how we deal with the demands and pressures of our work and family lives. Unlike IQ, which is hard-wired and predominantly hereditary, EQ can be learned, developed, and enhanced. All of us are deficient in some domain of EQ, but we can work to improve. Organizational leaders must be sensitive to EQ to communicate effectively with everyone in their organizations.
3. How to lead through times of change. Change is happening in your organization. Every day, new initiatives and projects are launched to improve performance, increase profits, and enhance your competitive advantage. Organizational change is a process in which an organization optimizes performance as it works toward its ideal state, as a reaction to an ever-changing environment, a response to a crisis situation, or is triggered by a strong leader with a new vision for the future. Here’s more about leading your organization during a crisis.
KUEC offers courses in each of these leadership topics as part of their Professional Leadership Program.
Choose research-based leadership courses.
“Training is based on solid and up-to-date research,” says Stuart. “Through our live webinars, one-day workshops, leadership coaching, customized training, and full courses, participants learn the theory behind the practice and hit hard with real-world, customized application.” Professional training based on scientific studies are far more effective than training based on buzzwords or the latest trends.
Offer tuition assistance for professional training.
Does your organization offer tuition assistance? Leadership training is a valuable, mutually beneficial perk that encourages employees to develop their skill set. Tuition assistance can give your employees that extra boost they need to take this step.
The best choice for leadership training.
The University of Kansas, a respected Research 1 University, can take care of your professional training needs for the coming year. Get fast, flexible leadership training for your managers, aspiring leaders, and staff through one-day workshops, professional leadership coaching, customized leadership training, and free webinars.
Your employees may also pursue the KU Professional Leadership Certificate, which develops their abilities in high-demand leadership and communication skills, allowing them to become a team-driven leader. This course consists of five workshops and includes two hours of one-on-one professional coaching, tailored to their individual development needs. Participants earn a professional credential.
Contact KU Lifelong & Professional Education at professionalprograms@ku.edu to help analyze your organization’s needs and design a plan to empower your employees.
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