5 things you’ll get out of Haskayne’s Strategic Leadership Development program

The Strategic Leadership Development program is an open-enrolment professional development program from Haskayne Executive Education. Whether you’re an experienced leader who wants to update your skills, you’ve recently moved into a more senior role, or you’re taking on more enhanced leadership responsibilities in your organization, this program will shape you into a more effective, resilient and dynamic leader and provide you with an immediate return on investment. Here are five things you’ll get out of the Strategic Leadership Development program. 

1. Highly relevant course content from leading Haskayne School of Business faculty

This program will help shift your focus from day-to-day tasks and teach you to think more strategically, which will help you contribute to your organization’s future direction. You’ll be taught by a diverse team of the Haskayne School of Business’ world-renowned faculty, who combine academic rigour with industry experience. Experiential learning is at the heart of the Strategic Leadership Development program and your course content will be taught through case studies, virtual group simulations, and interactive class discussions.

Some of the topics covered through the Strategic Leadership Development program include:

• Driving innovation through entrepreneurial thinking
• Creating and leading teams
• Effective decision making
• Leading through change
• Emotionally intelligent leadership

The Strategic Leadership Development program gave me valuable insights into current and emerging trends in strategy and organizational behaviour. It reiterated the importance of having a well-defined strategy, a sound execution plan, and capable leadership to implement a strategic plan.

- Mihaela Cozma, Corporate Performance Director at Canada Energy Regulator

2. Complete a professionally meaningful project

Through the Strategic Leadership Development program, you’ll apply course content to a professionally meaningful Action Learning Project. This will enable you to consider different approaches to your organization’s strategy, its environmental impact, and its openness to innovation. Your Action Learning Project will be designed in consultation with leaders at your organization and you will be guided through an in-depth mentorship process with Haskayne faculty. In the end, you will produce tangible business outcomes that will have a significant impact on both you and your organization.

Here are a few examples of what our alumni have accomplished through their Action Learning Projects:

• Development of a new process to reduce mandatory auditing costs by $5 million over five years
• An additional 20 per cent in annual revenue by identifying a new opportunity in the sales process
• Creation of a system to reduce company risk and control testing by 75 per cent

3. Personalized professional development

A core component of the Strategic Leadership Development program is the development of your individualized Personal Leadership Development Plan, which will ground your overall learning with specific focus areas you wish to pursue. As part of this process, you will complete leadership diagnostic assessments which will evaluate your leadership competencies, strengths, and areas for growth. These assessments are accompanied by individual debriefs and personalized coaching sessions.

Some examples of outcomes past participants worked to develop include:

• Better understanding quantitative and qualitative data to make more informed decisions
• Improved handling of change and uncertainty
• Becoming a more effective communicator and team leader
• Learning to lead with empathy and authenticity

The Strategic Leadership Development program strengthened my confidence and helped me reach out for new opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise. The learnings were impactful and truly broadened my horizons. The instructors were incredibly knowledgeable, insightful and responsive to the needs of the individual learners.

- Jennifer Eyford, Associate Director of Mental Health, Addictions and Outreach at The Alex

4. Apply your learnings to your job in real time

The Strategic Leadership Development program’s short timeframe and online format make it easy to fit professional development into your busy schedule, no matter where you are. Live, online classes are held every other Friday morning, interspersed with self-directed online coursework. Setting aside every Friday morning for learning ensures that you remain engaged throughout the duration of the program.  

The program is designed to immediately impact your job. What you cover in a session on a Friday morning can be applied with your team the following Monday morning. Participants are encouraged to try out new concepts and tools and to return to the next class with the successes or challenges they encountered.

5. Build your professional network

Your class will be made up of a group of up to 30 experienced professionals across diverse industries and job functions. Throughout your seven months of study, you’ll have the opportunity to form close bonds with your cohort, forming lifelong business connections and friendships.  Learning with a diverse cohort ensures that the dialogue is rich, shared learning is elevated, and you form strong connections with your classmates.

Working with others in different industries helped broaden my perspective in my day-to-day work. I now have a lot more confidence in working with people at the highest levels of my organization. I’ve learned how to speak the language of my executive leaders, and I am even more equipped to lead with a strategic mindset.”

- Christopher Kachuk, Director of Sales at Molson Coors Beverages

Ready to register? The next intake of the Strategic Development Leadership program launches on December 2, 2022. If you register by November 2, you may be eligible for the Canada-Alberta Job Grant, which could cover up to two-thirds of your program costs. Get in touch with us if you need support with your grant application, flexible payment options, group discounts or help building your business case for funding.

Contact us: execed@haskayne.ucalgary.ca.