High Impact Leadership:
Expanding Your Influence to Achieve Results

What is this course about?

In this course, you gain practical knowledge and skills to take your leadership expertise to the next level-to lead and manage individuals and teams within the greater strategic context of your organization, department or business unit. You learn to forge alliances across your unit or department in order to effect positive action and results. You will develop the confidence to engage and mobilize others to achieve positive business outcomes. Additionally, you learn how to implement change, deal with resistance effectively and navigate organizational politics.

Who will benefit from this course?

This course is valuable for mid-level managers, or anyone in a middle management role, who wish to enhance their ability to drive results and take their leadership skills to the next level. This course is also for those who wish to expand their influence and social networks.

What background do I need?

Attendees are expected to have at least three years of experience managing the performance of others. It is helpful to have some prior education or training in basic management and leadership skills prior to taking this course. Course 290, Management Skills, Course 906, Management Skills for an IT Environment, or Course 222, Leadership Skills: Building Success through Teamwork provide this training and are helpful to take prior to attending 909, but are not mandatory.

How do middle managers have an impact on strategic planning?

This course addresses the important management skills required to successfully implement an organization's or department's strategic plan. Mid-level managers are responsible for understanding the big picture (i.e., the direction their organization/department is going in) and identifying how their team can make the greatest contribution to achieve their goals. In this course, you learn the tools and techniques to ensure your team stays focused and committed to the strategy as defined by senior management.

I find that managing people is the hardest job of a manager. How will this course help me?

Managing people and getting the best from your staff is a thread that weaves throughout this course. Through case-study scenarios and real-life examples brought by course attendees, you gain useful insights into aligning people's talents and skills with organizational goals. You learn pratical ways to reduce performance barriers and encourage accountability in your team.

In today's workplace, it is not uncommon to have staff from multiple generations, each with their own values, preferred ways of communicating, and approaches to work. In this course, you gain practical experience dealing with people from different generations.

Is this a change management course?

This is not a change management course per se; however, in most organizations the need to grow, compete and improve results makes change an inevitable fact of life. In this course, there is a chapter on how middle managers can implement strategic change initiatives and help their staff overcome resistance to change and become catalysts for growth.

I've never been very good at dealing with office politics. Will this course help me?

Yes! In this course, you learn that those who have the best handle on the political situation in their organizations are the ones who are the most successful at getting things done. Rather than thinking of politics in a negative light, you gain an appreciation for the positive impact it can have, see the value in different perspectives and use this understanding to achieve your desired business results. You leave the course with the political skills you need to build coalitions and alliances.

How much time is spent on each topic?

What kinds of activities are included?

In this case study-based course, approximately 75 percent of the class time is spent in individual assessments and group activities, including role plays, brainstorming activities, and a debate competition. By participating in these activities, you develop skills in organizational politics, strategy implementation, decision making, change management, alliance building and networking. You learn to identify those resistant to change, engage and mobilize others, navigate the political landscape within your organization, and handle conflict and other management challenges.

Is this course applicable toward a Project Management Institute (PMI) certification?

Yes. Though this course is not designed as preparation for an exam, it is beneficial to anyone working toward, or maintaining, a PMI certification. Most PMI certifications require a specific number of PDUs in order to obtain and maintain the credential. Completion of this course provides 17 professional development units (PDUs).

Learning Tree offers several courses that help you prepare for PMI certifications, including Course 276, Preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP)^® Exam, which prepares you for PMI's most popular certification. For more details on these courses and PMI certifications, please see the Learning Tree PMI Registered Education Provider Q&A.

How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses?

Learning Tree offers a number of courses in management, communication and planning:

• 3411, Emotional Intelligence: Achieving Leadership Success 
• 222, Leadership Skills: Building Success through Teamwork 
• 247, MBA Essentials: Enhancing Organizational Performance 
• 294, Influence Skills: Getting Results without Direct Authority 
• 904, Responding to Conflict: Creating Resolution and Cooperation 
• 905, Facilitation Skills 
• 284, Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving 
• 3310, Applying Strategic Thinking to Operational Management