Schedule

Start
Oct. 16, 2024

Orientation

At this first session, you'll learn more about the academy and how the course delivery works. You'll also introduce yourself and meet your cohort.

Date

Week 1
Oct. 17-23, 2024

Learning to be a strengths-based leader

What does being a strengths-based leader even mean? Am I supposed to only focus on what I am good at and ignore my weaknesses? What about the people on my team?

In this week, we will explore your top five CliftonStrengths and how you can leverage them as a leader in your organization.

The sessions will be highly interactive and give you various materials for both your development and leading those around you.

Presenter

Dates

Each session offers unique content and builds on previous topics. Plan to attend both dates. 

Week 2
Oct. 24-30, 2024

From strategic plan to action plan

An organization’s strategic plan outlines goals, objectives, and priorities that set a course for the future. But with so many moving (and often decentralized) parts, applying these high-level plans to our day-to-day work can be challenging.

These sessions will help you see your work in your organization’s strategic plan. Together, the cohort will walk through the steps of creating an action plan, setting goals and objectives for yourself and your team, and deciding how best to measure success — all in alignment with an overarching strategic plan.

During this week, we will:

• Walk through strategic planning frameworks.
• Practice setting strategic goals and objectives.
• Outline tactics and practice prioritizing work strategically.
• Identify internal and external metrics.
• Use an action plan template that you can immediately apply in your current role.

Participants are encouraged to reference their own organization’s strategic plan (if possible) in order to start an action plan that is tailored to their needs. Otherwise, sample strategic plan documents will be used for the purpose of workshop exercises.

Presenter

Dates

Each session offers unique content and builds on previous topics. Plan to attend both dates. 

Week 3
Oct. 31-Nov. 6, 2024

Leading teams

Effective leadership is the ability to successfully influence and support a team or group of people. Whether you are an aspiring manager, new to management or an experienced manager, leadership is about inspiring, aligning and activating others to achieve specific outcomes. That challenge is greater than ever as we’re tasked with leading across multiple contexts — managing down, up, laterally and now remotely in a post-pandemic world.

During this week, we will explore:

• Effective leadership principles.
• Conflict resolution and how to navigate difficult conversations.
• Managing up and creating alignment with the organization.
• Leading laterally and without authority.
• Practical ways to rethink work in hybrid or remote settings.

Attendees are encouraged to share real challenges they face within their organizations to help tailor the discussion.

Presenter

Dates

Each session offers unique content and builds on previous topics. Plan to attend both dates. 

Week 4
Nov. 7-13, 2024

Shared governance

Governance empowers digital communicators to effectively support their specific goals while drawing from a consistent strategy; clear objectives and audiences; digital best practices; thoroughly documented processes; and well-defined roles and responsibilities. But in higher ed, governance can be elusive, owing to politics, silos, fear, decentralization, stasis and more.

This week will help solidify your understanding of what governance entails, why it’s important, how to assess your current state, and how to set yourself and your institution up for future success.

Topics of discussion may include:

• Governance diagnostics.
• Training, documentation and policies.
• Roles and workflows.
• Sustainable processes.
• Systems oversight.
• Internal community building.

Attendees can virtually share challenges and ideas with their cohort, problem-solving real challenges together.

Presenter

Dates

Each session offers unique content and builds on previous topics. Plan to attend both dates. 

End
Nov. 14, 2024

Panel and closing

Build off what you've learned during the four weeks of the Leadership Academy, and bounce ideas and questions off a panel of seasoned leaders in the digital higher ed space. 

Then celebrate with your cohort at to conclude the session.

Panelists

Date