Advanced Learning Academy

Join the University of Nevada, Reno Extended Studies in their seven session advanced leadership academy.

About

The University of Nevada, Reno’s Advanced Leadership Academy is a five-month training and coaching program designed to develop and support senior leaders and key team members. The program also offers the next level of advanced leadership training for those who have completed the 10-course Supervisory Management Certificate through Extended Studies (although completion of this program is not a prerequisite).

Those responsible for setting strategy, spearheading competitive initiatives, leading change, driving innovation, coaching team members and inspiring positive culture within their organizations will learn tools and techniques to enhance their influence and successfully lead their teams.

Session One: The Neuroscience of Leadership: Leading Self

When: Wednesday, February 12, 2025

In the first session, participants will develop a deeper understanding of human behavior (specifically, their own) and the impact they have on their team(s). This includes how to avoid unintended outcomes during stressful or difficult conversations. How do you react when problems occur? What are the skills and competencies required to respond more effectively to difficult circumstances? There is no doubt that in today’s Covid world, leaders are expected to do more with less and respond to unprecedented challenges. Participants will learn proven methods for building resilience in the face of challenges, and practice the skills necessary to become more resourceful and respected leaders.

Topics:

Neuroscience basics
Impact of behavior on brain; solving the stimulus/response problem
Basic human needs/motivators
Emotional intelligence
Tools for managing emotions more effectively
The mindfulness — leadership connection

Session Two: Making High-Quality & Data-Drive Decisions: Leading Transformations

When: Wednesday, February 26, 2025

In our rapidly changing world, making high-quality decisions is more crucial than ever to ensure the success of the organization and people that work within it. Successful leaders must make important decisions that allow them to seize opportunities and swiftly address challenges. Decisions relating to cutting costs and increasing efficiencies are common. To maximize benefits, and minimize negative consequences, decisions that are complex or have a high impact should be made using a systematic approach. This session explores decision-making concepts, techniques and processes. Participants will better understand how to properly define a required decision, frame the decision, communicate and implement the decision, and monitor results. Leaders also will learn how to avoid biases, which are common in decision-making.

Topics:

Aligning strategic decisions to organizational goals and objectives
Using data to support decision-making
Following a decision-making process with clearly defined roles
Implementing decision-making techniques
Avoiding common biases

Session Three: Organizational Agility and Innovation: Leading People through Change

When: Wednesday, March 12, 2025

We are living in a time that requires us to embrace great change and flexibility in order to succeed. If you’ve ever tried to change one of your own behaviors and habits, you know how difficult change is for just one person. Trying to affect change for a small or large group of people has its own difficulties. Sometimes change is inspired by internal pressures while other times it's forced upon people via external pressure (i.e. global pandemics). During this session, leaders will assess how they personally navigate change by completing the ChangeRHYTHMⓒ self-assessment. Leaders will then discover best practices for developing personal resilience through change as well as how to effectively lead others through change by addressing personal and practical needs. The result of leading change well is increased innovation, improved agility and better employee experiences.

Topics:

Things that get in the way of successful change (no matter how it came about)
The role of vulnerability in change and innovation
People’s needs during change initiatives
Best practices for personally navigating change
Tools and resources for leading change

Session Four: Agile Strategic Planning: Leading the Enterprise through Turbulent Times

When: Wednesday, March 26, 2025

This session covers the concepts and tools of designing, building and managing organization-wide strategy in times of uncertainty and tumult. Leading an enterprise-wide, dynamic strategic planning process requires inspiring strategic thinking, and adopting best-practice strategic planning processes that are agile and matching the market dynamics with the organization’s competitive advantages. Students will gain tools and practices to assess market opportunities and threats, determine organizational strengths and weaknesses, and formulate strategic alternatives with the agility needed today.

Topics:

Agile strategic planning best practices, framework and process
External and internal analysis, to include SWOT development and competitive positioning
Visioning and roadmapping that allows for adaptations
Corporate strategy design and organizational alignment
Strategic thinking exercises
Understanding the intersection of strategy, culture and employee engagement

Session Five: Building a Stronger Organizational Culture: Leading Communications

When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025

How can you position yourself more effectively as a leader through inclusive communication? How do you know the message you are intending to send is what is being received? What will it take to help rebuild and respond from COVID-19? In this session, participants will learn communication techniques and best practices necessary to inspire others and leverage ideas with attention on organizations in crisis. The session will explore tactfully bridging difficult conversations (whether one-on-one or with thousands), situations faced by leaders, and share how to build stronger communication cultures internally and externally so leaders may share their vision effectively.

Topics:

Discover personal communication strengths to build more effective personal and professional relationships in a post-COVID world
Approaches, frameworks and tools for communicating effectively in day-to-day and difficult situations
Techniques to create space for transparent and authentic communication, where people from different areas and backgrounds feel safe to speak up and share ideas.
How to develop key messages and deliver them to the media and beyond.

Session Six: Fostering Awareness in an Uncomfortable Environment: Leading with Diversity

When: Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Studies have shown that diversity drives collaboration and innovation in the workplace, allowing greater opportunities for problem solving, reducing bias, and increasing accountability. Diversity within a workplace encompasses race, gender, ethnic groups, age, religion, sexual orientation, citizenship status, military service and mental and physical conditions, as well as other distinct differences between people. It includes not only how individuals identify themselves, but also how others perceive them. This session will explore the formation and ownership of personal thoughts and feelings and how they impact the workplace. Leaders will learn how to reduce prejudice and discrimination within their organizations, and to foster a positive organizational culture that encourages employees to work together effectively.

Topics:

Discover biases and how they hamper or strengthen personal relationships
Strategies to strengthen workplace relationships for effective outcomes
Walk through uncomfortable conversations that are essential for growth

Session Seven: Coaching for Higher Performance: Leading Individuals and Teams

When: Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Leaders understand they also must be coaches for their teams. But how do you actually coach individuals and teams to higher performance? What are the steps to creating a powerful coaching conversation? This session provides participants with a solid understanding of basic coaching tools and techniques, provides the opportunity to put those skills into practice and teaches them how to use coaching as a method for driving stronger performance within an organization. The tools and techniques learned can be utilized immediately to more effectively lead teams, create synergies, and gain loyalty and commitment to organizational objectives.

Topics: