Get Ready to Lead.

TThis program is for you, if you:

• Would like to create your own Personal Development Action Plan
• Desire the tools and knowledge needed to enhance your leadership capabilities
• Want to become more visible to the leadership in your organization
• Could benefit from building and enhancing personal career networks
• Desire to connect with leaders who share their views and experience on how to enhance your leadership competencies
• Would like to gain knowledge on effective teambuilding

The following requirements are to be met in order for successful completion on this program:

• Personal Development Action Plan (PDAP) – Participants develop and follow a personal development action plan based on developmental objectives drawn from results of the Graduate School USA’s Leadership Effectiveness Inventory (LEI), a 360 assessment. The plan is a series of required assignments and independent study activities, primarily within their organizations. Support and final approval for this plan is coordinated with the first-line supervisor, agency program coordinator and NLP staff.
• Developmental Assignment – Participants must complete one four-week developmental assignment that provide exposure to different leadership/managerial experiences and perspectives. Participants are responsible for securing their assignment.
• Shadowing Assignment – Participants complete a three-day assignment "shadowing" a federal manager or executive at a minimum of two (2) grades above the participants’ current level. Through this assignment, participants are exposed to managerial excellence and gain visibility among managers and executives. This is an opportunity to view decision-making styles and problem-solving techniques in a real-world situation.
• Management Interviews – Participants are required to interview career employees of the federal workforce at a minimum of two (2) grades above the participants’ current level. These interviews provide opportunities to gain critical information for successful long-term career planning and development. Participants gain insight and knowledge about the role of public sector managers through well-designed personal and professional questions.
• Leadership Book Reviews – Participants read, and review books related to the competencies that they are developing during the program. Book reviews enhance participants’ participant’s sensitivity to management issues, trends, and concepts that may or may not be currently observed.
• Team Project – Building on their study of the Executive Core Qualifications, teams deliver a final presentation to their classmates during graduation week activities.
• Team Leader Report – Every team member serves as the Team Leader as least once during the year-long six-month program. Each Participant will need to send a team update and include suggestions for issues to address for their report.
• Organization Perspective Overview – Each New Leader Program participant is required to complete an analysis of his/her organization. The purpose of this analysis is to provide participants with an opportunity to become familiar with their agency, what it does, and how it works, and how their role aligns to the organization.
• Program Impact Paper – Participants reflect on the six-month journey to highlight personal achievements, lessons learned, benefit to the organization and next steps in their leadership and professional development.

Benefits to Participants:

• Develop a personal development action plan based on results from their 360° feedback report
• Cultivate skills in key leadership competencies
• Practice skills to improve conflict management
• Gain greater exposure within the organization
• Learn leadership styles to develop their own style
• Expand their perspectives on leadership from seasoned managers and executives
• Engage in individual developmental activities to expound on their learning experience
• Enhance communication and leadership skills through team building

Benefits to organizations:

• Develop new leaders for management and leadership positions
• Benefit from participants’ exposure to new ideas from other organizations
• Develop employees to meet the needs of the organization

The New Leader Program is strategically designed around three program components; assessment, experiential learning and individual development. Assessments –Participants take the Graduate School USA’s Leadership Effectiveness Inventory (LEI), a robust 360°degree feedback. The results guide the individual’s developmental objectives. The program uses various assessments to help teams better understand various personalities and your behavioral impact on others, ascertain conflict management styles, and to assess their diversity and cultural awareness.

Experiential Learning – Participants engage in activities inside and outside of class designed to develop core competencies. Program requirements:

• Personal Development Action Plan
• Organizational Perspective
• Team Presentation
• One four-week Developmental Assignment
• Senior Leadership Interviews
• Shadow Assignment
• Leadership Book Reviews
• Team Leader Report

Individual Development – During the three training sessions, participants receive instructions focused on 22 of the 28 competencies of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) framework. Classes include lessons on, but not limited to, Leadership in the 21st Century, Courageous Conversations, and Decision Making and Problem Solving. During training, participants continue to build a network of peers across agencies, challenge one another, and expand their resume of accomplishments.

To consider or be considered for this program, participants are either nominated by their agencies for their leadership potential, or they apply directly with the support of their agency based on their personal development objectives. This program demands a large commitment of time and effort from participants and, in return, delivers results. At the very least, participants will be away from their positions for a minimum of 7 weeks (three one-week training sessions and four weeks on a developmental assignment). Participants can expect to work on individual and team activities outside the training sessions, sometimes meeting weekly with team members. Please consider carefully these requirements before submitting an application. In order to graduate from the New Leader Program, participants must finish all program components— NO exceptions.