What does the Exploring Leadership course cost?

You will find the current price at the top right of this course page, together with the schedule, location and delivery format. For in-company or bespoke courses we are happy to provide a quotation on request.

Do I need prior knowledge or management experience to take part?

No, experience as a manager is not required. The course is specifically intended for people who are unsure or have only just started. What is useful, though, is having a concrete situation in which management comes your way or will do so. Without that context it is difficult to practise using your own examples.

Who is this course intended for?

For anyone orientating themselves towards management or who has only just started. That could be a senior member of staff considering becoming a team leader, a project leader who is taking on a team, an expert wondering whether management suits them, or a newly appointed manager who wants to fill the role deliberately. Doubt is welcome; in fact, it is the starting point of the course.

What exactly will you learn in this course?

You learn what management really involves in terms of tasks and responsibilities, which leadership styles there are and which one suits you. You work with the Situational Leadership model and practise the core skills: delegating, giving feedback, holding a coaching conversation and tackling a difficult conversation. At the end you draw up a personal development plan.

Is the course classroom-based, or can it also be followed online?

This course is taught in a classroom setting, in a small group on location. That is a deliberate choice: much of what you learn lies in practising with role play and reading non-verbal signals. That works less well remotely. For organisations we also offer the course in-company, so that you can work with your own team or colleagues.

Do I receive a certificate on completion?

Yes, afterwards you will receive a certificate of participation from Learnit. This shows that you have taken the course and worked on orientating yourself towards management. It is not an examination certificate, as the course focuses on reflection and skills rather than assessment.

What do the working methods look like?

You alternate between reflection assignments, short blocks of theory and plenty of practice. The practice takes place in role plays using situations that participants bring in themselves. The trainer gives direct feedback on what you say and do and on the effect this has on the other person. You also receive feedback from fellow participants, who often add valuable observations from their own practice.

Why take this course instead of reading a book on leadership?

A book gives you knowledge, this course gives you experience. You can read everything there is about giving feedback, but only once you have held a difficult conversation in a safe setting and received direct feedback do you know what it asks of you. The combination of reflecting on yourself and practising with your own cases is not something you get from a book.

Can I apply what I have learned in practice straight away?

Yes, that is the starting point. During the course you practise with situations from your own work, so that what you learn is already linked to your context. Your personal development plan gives you a concrete starting point for the weeks that follow. Some participants also use the plan in conversation with their own manager or HR to give further shape to their development.

Is there a follow-up if I do actually take on a leadership role?

Yes. If, after this course, you opt to take the step into management, Learnit offers several follow-up options. Consider courses such as Management for Beginners, Coaching Leadership or Situational Leadership, in which you go into greater depth on style and conversation technique. In your development plan you discuss with the trainer which direction makes the most sense.

I am a subject-matter expert considering a management role. Is this course suitable for me?

On the contrary. Many participants are experts who are good at their profession and wonder whether they are also suited to managing others. During the course you explore what you need to let go of in your expert role in order to make room for your team. You gain insight into how management and specialist work relate to one another and what that means for you.

What if, after the course, I conclude that a leadership role isn't right for me after all?

Then the course has served its purpose too. Deliberately choosing not to become a manager is a valuable outcome, certainly when that choice is based on what the role really demands and not on an assumption. You have got to know yourself better, you know what you do want to develop and you have a well-founded case to put to your employer. Better to have clarity now than to spend a year in a role that does not suit you.

Exploring Leadership course

Name: Exploring leadership
Price: 2390.0 EUR
Availability: InStock

Are you considering the step into a management role, or have you just started? This course helps you explore whether the role suits you. You gain insight into what managing people really demands and practise the skills you need to do it well.

Description

Managing people sounds appealing: more influence, more responsibility, a next step. But what does it mean when you actually do it? What does it demand of you in terms of time, energy and behaviour? And does that fit who you are and what you want?

In this course you first look at the role itself. What are the tasks, which styles exist, and what comes your way when you start leading a team? You work with the Situational Leadership model of Hersey and Blanchard and explore which style suits you.

After that, you start practising. Delegating, giving feedback, holding a coaching conversation, addressing someone's behaviour: these are the things that matter in day-to-day practice. You practise with situations from your own work and receive direct feedback from the trainer and the other participants.

By the end you will know whether a leadership role suits you and which direction of development makes sense. You go home with a personal development plan that allows you to take the next step concretely, or to deliberately choose a different direction.

Topics

What leadership involves: myths, reality and responsibilities
Your motivations: why you are considering this step
Leadership styles, from directive to coaching
Situational leadership according to Hersey and Blanchard
Which style suits you and where your room for development lies
Delegating: what to delegate, what not to, and how to go about it
Giving feedback: purpose, structure and practice with your own cases
Holding a coaching conversation: asking questions, leaving space, giving direction
Difficult conversations: addressing behaviour, correction and appraisal interviews
Dealing with resistance and emotion in a conversation
Personal development plan: where you stand and what your next step is

Result

After this course you will know whether leadership suits you and which leadership style fits who you are. You understand what the role involves and have let go of the romantic notions around it. You have practised the core tasks and know where your strengths lie and where you still want to grow.

Specifically, by the end you will be able to:

Putting into words what does and does not appeal to you about managing people
Recognising and naming your own leadership style
Switching between directive and coaching styles as the situation requires
Delegating tasks effectively without letting go or micromanaging
Giving feedback in a way that lands and works
Holding a coaching conversation with open questions and space to think
Starting a difficult conversation without avoiding or confronting
Making a well-founded choice about your next step in leadership

Target audience

This course is for anyone who is unsure whether leadership suits them, and for people who have just started and want to get their bearings on how to fill the role.

The course is intended for:

Senior staff considering the step to team leader
Project leaders who are going to lead a team and want to fill the role well
Newly appointed managers who know how to approach their first months
Experts who are strong on content and wonder whether managing people might also be something for them
Anyone who is unsure whether a management role suits them

Teaching method

You work in a small group with an experienced trainer who has managed people for many years. The first part is about reflection and insight: you examine your motivations, get to know the different leadership styles and work with the Situational Leadership model. You gain a clear picture of what the role demands and what suits you.

The second part is mainly about doing. In role plays you practise delegating, giving feedback, coaching and holding difficult conversations. You always work with situations from your own practice, so that what you practise is immediately usable. The trainer gives direct feedback on what you do and the effect it has on the other person.

At the end you draw up a personal development plan. That gives you a concrete starting point for your next step, or grounds for deciding not to take on a leadership role (for now).

Prior knowledge

No specific prior knowledge is required. You do need work experience and a concrete situation in which managing people comes, or will come, your way. Think of a team you will soon be leading, a role you have doubts about, or an organisation that sees you growing in that direction. Without that context it is difficult to practise with your own cases.

Comments

Bring one or two concrete situations from your own work that you would like to practise with. Think of a conversation you keep postponing or a task you want to delegate.

In-company

Would you like to organise this training for a whole group or several groups? This can be cost-effective. For example, we can tailor the content entirely to your organisation, and training a whole group is also cheaper.

Are you looking at large numbers of participants or a complete academy? That involves a great deal. Consider planning and communication, for example, or identifying and agreeing the objectives and content of the training. Or differences in level, feedback mechanisms and safeguarding. Fortunately, Learnit has extensive experience in this field (more than 25 years) and we are happy to help you through this process.

Request a quote

Language

The training is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer has a good command of English. English-language course material can be used. With a minimum enrolment of 3 participants, the training can also be given entirely in English.

Number of days:

2 days

Course times:

from 10 am to 5 pm

Study load:

14 hours

Education level:

This training is suitable for all levels.

Exemptions:

Exemptions do not apply to this course.

Preparation time:

No preparation time applies to this course.

Certificate:

At the end of the course, a certificate is issued as proof of participation.

The best training for you

At Learnit you will always find a course that takes you further. From (technical) IT skills to communication or personal leadership. You can also choose the training format that suits you best: a classroom course, a tailor-made course at your own office, an online course or an e-learning. We have the right course and the right format for everyone. Because learning in the way that suits you best delivers the best results.

Moving forward together

Taking a training course at Learnit means learning together. Together with your experienced trainer, together with your course group or together with your colleagues. And whether you take the training at home, at your office or at one of our training locations, we are always available to help you. To share our knowledge with you in a way that is genuinely useful to you. Getting further together through personal attention and understanding each other well; that is what we believe in.

Apply it directly in your work

Learning theory from a book that you can then hardly use in your work? Not at Learnit! Whichever training you take with us, you can put it to use at your workplace straight away. Because of the unique learning objectives you set together with the trainer at the start of the training. Because of the alternation between theory and (interactive) practical assignments. And by bringing the challenges you face in your daily work along to the training.