Advanced Professional Certificate in
Strategic Leadership

Course Introduction

Strategy does not exist without leadership; the two are inseparable. The decisions and behaviors of strategic leaders have a potential impact on organizational performance. A sustainable and robust strategy with meaningful impact requires bold leadership. This highly stimulating training course offers a comprehensive analysis of the requirements, attributes and consequences of strategic leadership.

This Advanced Professional Certificate in Strategic Leadership training course is designed to develop the critical leadership skills to influence, persuade, and empower. It is structured around the main themes of what strategic leadership is, what strategic leaders do, why and how. 

This Advanced Professional Certificate in Strategic Leadership training course will highlight:   

• Why strategic leadership matters
• The differences between day-to-day leadership and strategic leadership
• Thinking and acting strategically
• The multi-dimensionality of strategic leadership
• the impact of strategic leadership decisions on firm performance

Objectives

By the end of the training course, delegates will be able to critically analyze and evaluate a range of perspectives of strategic leadership, apply conceptual models and frameworks to organization case studies and examples.

At the end of this Advanced Professional Certificate in Strategic Leadership training course, you will learn to;

• Develop critical understanding of the role of strategic leadership
• Analyze to context for strategic leadership
• Distinguish between management, leadership and strategic leadership
• Evaluate the role of strategic leadership in the formulation of strategy
• Bridge the gap between strategy and performance

Training Methodology

This Advanced Professional Certificate in Strategic Leadership training course will be highly participatory, and the training course leader will present, guide, and facilitate learning, using a range of methods including formal presentation, discussions, sector-specific case studies, and exercises. Above all, the training course leader will make extensive use of real-life case examples.

Organisational Impact

Strategic leadership means more thoughtful strategy formulation, more effective implementation and consequent success. In sending delegates to this training course, the organization will gain the following benefits:

• Understand the influence of leadership on organizations and teams
• Introduction of strategic thinking into all levels of the organization
• Understand the relationship between strategic management and strategic leadership
• Recognize how strategic actions and decisions impact key company measures and objectives
• Effectively communicate ideas to other employees, managers, and the public
• Improved decision-making - leading to better organizational performance

Personal Impact

In attending this Advanced Professional Certificate in Strategic Leadership training course, delegates will acquire the following skills and competencies:

• Evaluation of the role of leaders in strategic direction
• Improved career flexibility and prospects
• Accelerated thinking speed and problem resolution
• Making sense of complexity and an uncertain future
• Understanding of best practice in strategy formulation and implementation
• Assessment of the relevance of internal and external environment to organizational strategy

Who Should Attend?

This training course is designed for experienced professionals from any industry and any specialization who wish to gain a broader appreciation of the dynamics strategic leadership and develop their personal roles in creating the future for their organization.

This Advanced Professional Certificate in Strategic Leadership training course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Senior managers
• Managers taking on a more senior and strategic role in their organization
• Supervisors taking on additional strategic responsibilities
• Managers wanting to refresh their strategic management tools
• Specialist Managers
• Operational Managers

Course Outline

DAY 1

Why Strategic Leadership Matters

• Strategic leadership defined
• Assessing the role of strategic leaders
• Leadership theories
• Leading versus managing
• What distinguishes strategic leaders
• Top management teams

DAY 2

Key Strategic Leadership Actions

• Setting strategic vision
• Building and sustaining an effective organizational culture
• Top management teams
• The multiple functions of strategic leaders
• The outcomes of strategic leadership functions

DAY 3

Main Characteristics of Strategic Leaders

• Nature and/or nurture?
• The link between personality and leadership effectiveness
• Leadership development
• Individual-level characteristics
  • The ‘Big Five’
  • Charisma
  • Motivation
  • Knowledge, skills and abilities
• Decision-making limitations and biases
• Group-level attributes
  • Diversity
  • The knowledge, skills and abilities of top-management team
  • Top-management team interaction
  • How strategic leaders shape behavior

DAY 4

Environmental Factors

• The impact of context on strategic leadership
• External aspects of strategic leadership
  • How firm’s external environment affects strategic leadership
  • How strategic leadership affects the firm’s environment
• Macroeconomic conditions
• Industry and competition variables
• Socio-cultural features
• The internal organizational context
  • Ownership
  • Firm size
  • Resource availability
  • Complexity

DAY 5

The Outcomes

• Organizational performance
  • Multidimensional economic and non-economic factors
• Strategic decisions
  • The process of strategy selection
  • The degree of risk taking
• Innovation
  • The role of leaders in R&D productivity of organizations
• Social issues
  • Emphasizing ethical practices
• Incorporating societal trends