Courses

Leadership Presence, Power and Influence

Instructors: JeanAnn Nichols and Tracy Wilk

Dates: September 29th – November 3rd (6 sessions)

Time: Thursdays, 6:30pm-8:00pm PT  Live on Stanford University campus in Palo Alto

Course Summary:

Traditional sources of power and influence in organizations are in decline. The old hierarchical, static organizations; typically led by white men; are being replaced by collaborative, agile, distributed structures that embrace diversity. At the same time, the need to effectively influence in order to get things done is growing in almost every role at every level. Simple and repetitive jobs are getting automated. Remaining jobs are more highly integrated and require more collaboration across teams, distances, and cultures, both for “official” leaders and team members. In this interactive course, you will learn how to be seen as a leader capable of gaining followers, guiding strategy, directing resources, and having impact at scale. You’ll understand your social style and practice using multiple influence styles to achieve objectives. You’ll learn to grow and apply the 10 sources of power. Finally, you’ll put all these new skills together to cultivate your leadership presence.

Registration details at https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/courses/professional-and-personal-development/leadership-presence-power-and-influence/20221_BUS-288

Leadership in the New World of Work

Instructors: JeanAnn Nichols and Lisen Stromberg

Dates: Winter 2022-2023 (8 sessions)

Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm PT  Live via Zoom videoconference

Course Summary:

In the wake of #MeToo, COVID-19, and the rise of a more diverse and multigenerational workforce, a new kind of leadership is required for success. Today’s leaders must shift from fostering hierarchical, product-focused, profit-driven, office-based cultures to creating democratic, people-focused, people-driven cultures that empower teams across a myriad of locations. Those who master inclusive modern leadership skills will thrive in the new environment and draw the best talent to their teams. This course is designed for leaders who are eager to step up and increase their impact. We will focus on the six core facets of Modern Leadership: humility, empathy, accountability, resiliency, transparency and inclusivity. First, you will learn the foundations of today’s best-in-class workplaces, such as Patagonia, Salesforce, and Unilever, including what has changed and why. Next, we’ll explore the skills needed—including agility, collaboration, transparency, and empathy—to succeed in the new world of work and help you develop Modern Leadership core competencies. Through weekly reflections and practical activities, you will build your unique Modern Leader action plan to evolve your leadership style. Each session will consist of a lecture, discussion, and an exercise on one of the elements. Classes will also include in-depth interviews with industry leaders who embody inclusive Modern Leadership. Come prepared to share your challenges and experiences, and learn from one another, as you increase your leadership impact.

Registration details at https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/registration/cart

Fundamentals of High Performance Leadership (Online)

Tracy Wilk and I are pleased offer the leadership topics we developed for Stanford Continuing Studies in a convenient, self-paced on-line experience. The course consists of several powerful components:

6 information-packed video lectures – For leaders who want to learn on their own schedule, each recorded lecture tackles a different topic of critical interest to leaders. Curriculum can be found below. Lectures are generally 45 mins to 1 hour. These lessons can be consumed at your own pace.

An extensive Resource Library of books, articles, videos and podcasts is provided for each topic.

Leadership skills covered include:

• Developing your executive presence
• Delegating and coaching for performance
• Receiving and giving difficult feedback
• Managing conflict
• Multiplying team effectiveness
• Managing through change

Click here to learn more about the course.

Be a Great Mentor: A Practical Guide to Mentorship

Do you want to accelerate your career growth? Get a raise or promotion? Consider becoming a mentor. Research shows mentors receive promotions and are more likely to earn raises. A study by the Association of Talent Development (2017) found that 75% of executives believe mentoring was key to their success, and 75% of millennial employees surveyed expected their manager to mentor them. Being a mentor gives you additional opportunities to practice your leadership, grow your communication skills and hone your emotional intelligence. If you’re at the peak of your career, mentoring is a great way to continue to expand your network and build a legacy. Becoming a great mentor is good for you, your mentee, and your organization.

This course will help you prepare to be a Great Mentor. You will learn how to:

• Get clarity on the value you bring as a mentor
• Identify and select your ideal mentee
• Build your mentoring skills
• Overcome common obstacles to mentoring relationships

Mentors provided key insight at critical turning points in my 30 year career in the technology industry. In this course, I share my personal experiences and stories of great mentors, along with some cautionary tales. I’ve included many resources to help you build your skills: worksheet exercises to download and complete, interactive assignments, and checklist tools you can download and share with your mentee. You’ll have unlimited access to the material – watch as many times as you like.