LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE COURSE INTRODUCTION

1 LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE COURSE INTRODUCTION i HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS Welcome to the LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE COURSE a true action program! Obviously, nothing ever happens without some kind of action. Taking action that leads to worthwhile consequences requires thinking, planning, and goal setting. Before we begin, we d like you to internalize one concept neither this program nor any other can lead you from wish to fulfillment without constructive action and participation on your part. You are the key to any success this program will provide and I want you to understand that from the start.

2 In the fifteenth century, Galileo pointed out that you cannot be taught anything. You can only find or discover truth inside yourself. You must become involved and willing to take action and implement the concepts presented to you. The design and approach we employ in this program are both practical and action-oriented. A key factor in this program is proceeding from the known to the unknown. On the final day we will convert this concept to what we call closing the Knowing-Doing Gap. Our material is fundamental and we realize that many of you have developed a high level of proficiency in a particular skill.

3 In fact each of you brings strengths to the program and as we interact during the next three days, we ask you to share your experiences and insights to better help others to apply these principles in the workplace. LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE COURSE is designed around the adult learning model. While all adults have a preferred learning style, research indicates learning in adults occurs best when they complete each of these four steps: 1. Concrete Experience. Although the rate of learning varies with each individual, knowledge comes through the five basic senses sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

4 The more senses brought into play in a learning situation, the greater is the capacity to learn and retain new knowledge. In some cases, the concrete experience is one that you bring into the setting. In other cases, a common concrete experience will be created during this program through the use of role-plays and exercises that require each of you to expand your knowledge by engaging in the activity. 2. Reflective Observation. The definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results. While concrete experience creates the base of learning, reflective observation, or facilitated discussion, is the mechanism by which the new truths are gained.

5 Since participants share common experiences, discussion is a valuable vehicle for you to learn from each other. At Academy LEADERSHIP we have broad and varied experience in facilitating adult groups, and will assist you in discovering new ideas and techniques. 3. Abstract Conceptualization. In order to fully utilize knowledge, you must be able to fully understand it and apply it to new situations. This program is cumulative since each topic builds upon the previous ones and extends your grasp of the nature of LEADERSHIP in its totality, rather than as discrete bits of information and techniques.

6 This understanding is gained during each module as we help you to put it all together in a way that makes sense. 4. Active Experimentation. Once new concepts are mastered intellectually, they must become behavioral habits in the workplace. To accomplish this final stage, you will be expected to develop action plans to apply your new skills when you return to your workplace, and to continue to learn through active experimentation, tailoring the new techniques and ideas into a LEADERSHIP style that works for you and your team. We have designed the program so you can use these five principles of learning: 1.

7 Multi-sensory Perception. Research shows that different areas of the brain are used to hear material, read material, speak material, and write material. The more senses brought into play in a learning situation, the greater is the capacity to learn and retain new knowledge. Our LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE COURSE makes use of each of these cognitive processes through the printed text, the recorded lesson, and interaction during the sessions. In addition, you will be asked to respond to Application & Action questions and Self-Evaluations during each training module to help initiate action.

8 The act of writing and acting is critical to the formation ii of automatic responses or habits. By using these three basic senses sight, hearing, and touch the program accelerates the learning and acceptance process and provides results. 2. Spaced Repetition. The key to success in most endeavors is establishing habits. Habits are most effectively created through spaced repetition. When we learn to play a new sport, the key actions are broken down into their simplest components and then rehearsed again and again until they become automatic.

9 A competent golfer or tennis player is not thinking about their swing it has become programmed through repetition. Hardly any of us need to think about the mechanics of driving a car this is also automatic because it has been done over and over again. We use spaced repetition by having you listen daily to the audio files that contain the same material as the written lessons. Once you have graduated from the LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE COURSE , we recommend you listen to the audio portion again, not to learn more material but rather to stimulate thought on how to apply the material in daily activities at work and at home.

10 It is the first step in creating good LEADERSHIP habits that will last for a lifetime. 3. Simultaneous Learning Experiences. Learning is simultaneous with experience in the LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE COURSE . One of the chief complaints of large corporations is that the theory taught in schools and universities often fails to deal with the practical problems people encounter in the business world. We make a concerted effort to bridge the gap. Beginning with the first session, we believe you will learn how to apply and practice the concepts.