Leadership remains a soft skill that professionals in all disciplines should consistently develop over time. When choosing a leadership training program for yourself or others in your company, consider the course cost, relevance, structure, and curriculum to ensure the attendee(s) get the most out of the experience.
Below, discover some important factors when choosing a leadership program, along with a variety of training programs that may suit your team’s leadership education goals.
Considerations when choosing leadership training programs
According to DDI’s 2021 Global Leadership Forecast, most leaders want to increase weekly learning time (an average of 4.4 hours) by at least 70%. But just spending more time in professional development isn’t enough to ensure new knowledge and skills are applicable.
It’s important to focus on finding engaging leadership training programs that have relevant learning goals. Many leaders can feel their learning is relevant by using research-based programs that support “learning by doing” that include a safe space for feedback and self-assessment. Effective training programs also adapt instruction to address managers’ needs as learners and human beings.
Leadership training programs for managers
The following is a list of leadership training programs that may be helpful for your company’s management team.
Babson College Executive Leadership Program: Owning Your Leadership
Babson College offers transformative leadership programs for executives — and dozens of individual leadership courses. The Owning Your Leadership course, geared toward collaborative management of teams, has both online and in-person formats for attendees. The sections of this course focus on developing self-awareness to increase impact, building high-quality work relationships through mentorship, and examining successful leadership in collaborative organizations to grow management strategy and leadership skills. From the course, attendees can expect to build real action plans that can reclaim over 20% of their teams' time. Knowledgeable professionals including Wendy Murphy, Scott Taylor, and Alia Crocker teach the Owning Your Leadership course.
Harvard Leadership and Management Training
The Harvard Division of Continuing Education offers over 25 interactive, expert-led leadership and management training programs in online, hybrid, and in-person formats. Programs engage mid-level managers to senior leaders across a variety of industries through inquiry, discussion, and self-assessment.
Training topics include management and leadership styles; diversity, equity, and inclusion; examining and transforming organizational culture; emotional intelligence; and pandemic-related issues. There are even specific programs for leaders in healthcare and women leaders.
Program lengths range from two days to five weeks, and some award a certificate of completion.
[Read: Why Diverse Leadership Requires the Right Education & Succession Plans]
Center for Creative Leadership
The Center for Creative Leadership’s (CCL) world-class leadership training programs target speed bumps found at each level of leadership — from “first-level leaders” to C-suite executives. With dozens of courses in nearly every industry — and for every challenge a leader could face — the CCL’s programs rely on rigorous research and alumni feedback to remain unique and unparalleled. Benefits of CCL programs include:
- Personalized attention.
- Ability to secure credentials after program completion.
- In-depth goal setting.
- Intentional skillset development.
The wide course catalog offers both in-person and virtual leadership courses.
LinkedIn Course: Body Language for Authentic Leadership
Body Language for Authentic Leadership is led by Erica Dhawan, whose work focuses on connectional intelligence. This program is a 35-minute LinkedIn Learning video course that helps leaders understand and master body language to demonstrate an executive presence. The course also addresses body language in online meetings.
Like all LinkedIn courses, this course contains different segments with specific learning goals and includes in-video quizzes and the option to take time-stamped notes. After completing the course quiz, leaders earn a LinkedIn Learning certificate that will automatically add skills from the course to a connected LinkedIn profile.
Dale Carnegie Leadership Training for Managers
Dale Carnegie’s proven success of over 100 years ensures its leadership training programs lead the industry in education and actionable insights. Specifically, the Leadership Training for Managers course — a shorter course with seven 3.5-hour sessions — dives into understanding the “5 Drivers of Leadership Success” and helps attendees to master creating an eight-step planning process to define performance goals. Leaders in this course learn how to motivate their teams, strengthen trust within their work relationships, maximize full team performance, and more.
The course enables participants to create an action plan that strategically aligns organizational objectives with individual development goals. Dale Carnegie Leadership Training for Managers is only offered in person at this time.
Due to the increase in remote and hybrid work, training in remote leadership is essential for modern-day managers.
Manager Bootcamp
This eight-week program is intended for new managers and brings leadership training into busy schedules. Through Manager Bootcamp, leaders improve in self and social awareness, communication, team relationships, evaluating employees, and investing in personal growth.
The program contains four modules with a collection of short video lessons and quizzes, along with email check-ins, a workbook, and a personal coaching call with the course creator, Cecilia Gorman. Program participants have access to course materials for a whole year.
[Read: What Are the Most Common Leadership Styles?]
Udemy Course: Managing Remote Teams
Due to the increase in remote and hybrid work, training in remote leadership is essential for modern-day managers. Udemy’s Managing Remote Teams is a three-hour on-demand course taught by Dr. Corrie J. Block, Ph.D., DBA that addresses practical and social-emotional components of remote leadership. Through a series of lectures and downloadable resources, leaders learn how to improve communication and work-life balance and practice remote team building. The course also awards a certificate of completion.
Becoming a Successful Leader
EdX’s “Becoming a Successful Leader (Inclusive Leadership Training)” is an affordable, versatile class that teaches managers and leaders how to embody key leadership skills like empowerment, accountability, courage, and humility to foster an inclusive workplace. The course includes fast assessments, hands-on learning, and real-world examples of success.
Becoming a Successful Leader is an introductory course perfect for low-level managers beginning their leadership careers. Participants can audit the class for free — though instructor feedback will be limited — or pay $49 to upgrade to the verified track. The course offers a certificate of completion, flexible scheduling, and no prerequisites.
Leading Without Authority Training Series
Keith Ferrazzi, entrepreneur and recognized global thought leader in the relational and collaborative sciences, offers an on-demand training series based on his book, “Leading Without Authority.” Through informative, inspirational videos, Ferrazzi helps leaders find unique ways to solve business problems without relying on hierarchy. Instead, leaders learn to find value in all employees’ ideas — regardless of job position — and focus on building trusting, productive relationships through developing genuine care for others. A keynote talk is free on Ferrazzi’s website, and the whole series of videos is available for a fee.
[Read: How to Become a More Mindful Leader]
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