Course Outline
Leadership effectiveness is an important factor today when organizations must simultaneously cut budgets while retaining and nurturing talent. Every organization needs skilled leaders to allocate limited resources and create a work environment that encourages employees’ growth, involvement, commitment, and retention.
To ensure students will learn important, hands-on lessons, all instructors are industry professionals who bring real-world expertise to their classes.
Program Scope and Sequence
A Penn State certificate is awarded upon completion of the four required courses. Participants not wishing to take the entire sequence are welcome to take any course that interests them, pending prerequisite knowledge.
Who Should Attend
This program will be beneficial to any leader, supervisor, or manager—particularly those new to their role who are interested in achieving leadership excellence through a personal journey that explores values alignment, communication strategies, and ethical values. It also will help prepare new managers and supervisors to be more effective leaders.
Program Objectives
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to define aspects of leadership and explore its relationship to not only concepts, theories, and models they have learned in class but also real-life scenarios in the workplace and business community. In addition, students will be able to connect leadership development to leadership behaviors.
Continuing Education Units
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are awarded based on a standard of one unit per ten (10) hours of classroom contact.
Note: The University reserves the right to cancel courses due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances
Course Offerings
Decision Making
This course offers a level of awareness and knowledge about the decision-making process through the lens of several tools, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment. Building on the internationally-utilized MBTI theory, students will review and apply the five core decision-making processes to their professional and personal lives. This course will offer the tools needed to prepare for an ever-changing workplace, leveraging the student’s own individualized work preferences.
Cost: $625
Dates: Thursdays, August 25–October 6, 2022
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m. (via Zoom)
Developing Personal Leadership
This course covers the characteristics and key competencies of high-performing leaders, helps students assess their existing skill set compared to those of an effective leader, and offers suggestions on how to implement an individualized development plan.
Cost: $625
Dates: Thursdays, October 20–December 8, 2022 (no class on November 24)
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m. (via Zoom)
Leading Change in Organizations
Leading an organization through change is a critical competency of leadership. Topic areas include developing blueprints for organizational change, systems thinking, whole-scale change, communicating plans, and measuring performance against bottom-line results.
Cost: $625
Dates: Thursdays, January 12–February 23, 2023
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m. (via Zoom)
Strategic Planning
This course focuses on the planning responsibility of senior management. Students will examine how senior management can turn business visions into realities and gain a competitive advantage in a crowded market. Readings are balanced with class exercises to develop practical skills. Students will work in teams to present their recommendations on appropriate case studies.
Cost: $625
Dates: Thursdays, March 16–April 27, 2023
Time: 6:00–9:00 p.m. (via Zoom)