Facilitator:
Dr. Jim Murray
Virtual Program via Zoom
Nothing of great consequence happens without leadership.
Those who struggle in business today acknowledge and understand that simple truth. Yet few are actually taught how to lead – they’re expected to either have the leadership gene or acquire it by osmosis. But not everyone can be a leader. Research says that 83% of those in positions of executive responsibility ultimately fail – they were hired or promoted by presumably smart gatekeepers but didn’t have “what it takes” to be there in the first place. Countless studies say about 40% flame out in their first 18 months at the helm. And lessons learned in the past, in a less frenetic business environment, no longer work in today’s increasingly volatile, disruptive, unpredictable, hyper-competitive marketplace. Because leadership must evolve and adapt to effectively deal with rapidly changing circumstances and black-swan events. Which is why it’s continually redefined.
Who Should Attend
Those seeking to lead or ascend in today’s uncertain, paradoxical, confusing business world. Few leaders admit it, but credible research tells us the increasing complexity that accompanies growth in our turbulent environment now outruns their managerial skills. If you're one of those, you know that, as the job grows bigger, you get disoriented if not lost in new, unfamiliar and therefore daunting circumstances. You then hit a wall of ineffectiveness where doubling down on the practices that worked before just digs a deeper hole for your organization to climb out of. This is when your leadership stall or incompetence escalates into a crisis.
The need for perceptive, competent and adaptive leaders has never been greater. This is one reason why turnover at the top has increased dramatically in the post-pandemic era. The bar has been raised. Owners and boards are now asking whether they have the right leadership skills and mindset to address current expectations and new stakeholder demands. According to the business media, almost 70% of leaders in Canada are “seriously considering” quitting for personal reasons, including the realization they’re “just not up to the task.” Leadership roles are less secure, more isolated, precarious and vulnerable than ever before. This exodus represents new opportunities for those seeking avenues for advancement. If promotion isn’t yet in the cards for you, then learning how to lead from the middle, and being recognized for making a difference, certainly is.
This one-of-a-kind learning experience redefines the meaning of leadership today. It was designed and is led by someone who has dealt with thousands of business leaders as clients, coachees and students as well as being the subjects of various government accountability audits and crisis interventions. So, he knows exactly what makes a poor leader, a good leader and a great leader. His full bio can be found at SmartLeaders.ca. The program is not a philosophical discussion about what leadership is – that’s provided in supplemental readings which are optional. Rather the focus is on what you need to know to lead others to greatness. It identifies the uncomfortable truths and answers the critical questions every leader must contemplate and confidently address. And it will tell you in what ways being a leader will change you.
The full program consists of six courses with each session supplemented by required pre-course work (relevant readings, diagnostics and tasks).
See the Agenda page for the list of courses that qualify for this certificate program.
Courses
To qualify for the Redefining Leadership certificate, you must register and complete all required courses within two years of the date of your first enrolled course. You do not have to register for all the courses at the same time.
From Manager to Leader
Many CEOs want their managers to also be leaders. But that’s the antithesis of role/goal clarity. Managers manage and leaders lead. So, how does one ascend the corporate ladder and acquire the skills necessary to lead at a higher level of responsibility? One cardinal reality is that not everyone can be a leader. A noteworthy UK study found that 83% of leaders today ultimately fail in positions of executive authority – they were hired or promoted by presumably smart gatekeepers but didn’t have “what it takes” to be there in the first place. This course examines and answers such questions as “What makes a good leader?” and “What does it take to succeed in today’s increasingly complex, unpredictable, hyper-competitive business environment?”
Learn more about From Manager to Leader
Strategic Foresight, Planning and Modeling
In an era where exponential change and soul-crushing uncertainty is the constant, developing strategic foresight is the paramount skill for anyone who wants to ascend the corporate ladder. Without the ability to dissect and navigate the complexities of a hyper-competitive, disruptive business landscape and discern what the bigger picture holds in store, one is simply incapable of creating robust models that can guide decision making with confidence. Without thinking strategically, we can’t act quickly and competently to exploit the organization’s unique talents and proprietary resources when marketplace conditions unexpectedly change.
Learn more about Strategic Foresight, Planning and Modeling
Building Innovation Capability
In a hyper-competitive business world where innovation is deemed “a core competency” by nearly 90%of CEOs today, dissatisfaction with this aspect of their organizational performance remains a prevailing challenge and “a major source of dissatisfaction” (McKinsey). This unique course has been offered to hundreds of executives across the country over the past two decades. Remarkably, not one of them at the start was able to define the true meaning of innovation. Therein lies the crux of the problem – building this capability necessitates a deep understanding of what innovation truly is and, consequently, how to incubate, resource, effectively manage and sustain it.
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The Science of Fearless Decision Making
The greatest fear when faced with difficult choices is the daunting and, at times, overwhelming sense we could be wrong. This is especially the case in an age of increasing misinformation, polarization of views and exponential technological growth. We’re bombarded daily with opaque, inconsistent, contradictory and politically partisan ideologies that swamp, confuse and even anger us. With our access to vast universes of data, we are forced to figure out what facts we should base our decisions on, what questions we need to ask, how to find the right experts and which ones we can trust on what particular topics. Given all these forces, how do we make optimal choices and prevent unintended consequences under conditions of uncertainty?
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Why Successful Companies Fail: Forewarned is Forearmed
The data is clear: businesses are disappearing faster than ever. Do they fail because of stubbornness, incompetence, taking unnecessary risks or the emergence of black swans? Some do. But most fail simply because their success contains the seeds of their extinction. Complacent or dogmatic adherence to the formula that brought market dominance in the past almost guarantees they’ll perish in an increasingly volatile, uncertain and complex business environment. Relying on tried-and-true practices and a mode of thinking that got them to where they are now won’t help them evade the slippery downward slope … it’ll only accelerate the fall.
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Understanding the Human Condition
If you are to manage people effectively, you need to understand what makes them (and you) tick. Everything we do in life is a consequence of how the brain works. It determines our success or failure, personally as well as professionally. It’s what makes us human. But our hard-working neurons aren’t always functioning to our advantage. Because the brain has a mind of its own – one that’s beyond our command. It can make us smart, logical and open-minded but also vain, immoral, unscrupulous, unreliable and bigoted. Liberating the former and restraining the latter requires an understanding of what constitutes “the human condition.”
Learn more about Understanding the Human Condition
Dr. Jim Murray is CEO of optimal solutions international, a firm dedicated to helping people achieve their full potential. Jim has taught courses for CPABC since 1982.
He is the architect of several advanced residential programs for five provincial CPA bodies, has published four best-selling books, and provided his strategic counsel to well over 600 organizations. He has been nationally honoured by the university community and formally recognized for “excellence in the design and delivery of life-long learning”. His full bio is on SmartLeaders.ca.