COURSE OVERVIEW
Organizations seeking to enhance their competitive edge must develop leadership styles that align with their vision and inspire teams to achieve it. Leading a function’s performance is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it requires assessing the environment and people, then applying the right skills and methods for each situation. Effective functional leadership blends strategic direction with adaptive people management to achieve results.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By participating in this interactive program, delegates will be able to:

• Clearly articulate and communicate the organization’s business context
• Reflect on personal assumptions, biases, and values that influence leadership
• Adapt leadership styles to meet the needs of individual team members
• Apply principled negotiation and persuasion techniques
• Deliver constructive feedback to reinforce positive behaviors and address underperformance
• Assess team members’ needs to provide effective coaching or mentoring
• Tailor leadership approaches to dynamic environments and changing functions
• Set strategic direction and create flexible plans that drive results
• Employ effective questioning, advocacy, and presentation skills
• Apply foundational team-building principles to strengthen team performance

TARGET AUDIENCE
This program is ideal for functional managers responsible for building and sustaining high-performance teams. Participants will learn to assess team strengths, address gaps, and enhance functional performance.

TRAINING METHODOLOGY
This highly practical, results-driven program follows adult learning principles. Facilitators provide structured input, followed by discussions, exercises, role plays, and hands-on practice. The course encourages active participation, Q&A sessions, and action planning for real-world application. Pre- and post-course assessments evaluate participant skill development and course effectiveness.

COURSE CONTENTS

Module 1 – Context, Direction, Vision, and Outcomes

• Focus: Establishing strategic direction, aligning team goals, and setting actionable outcomes
• Key Topics:
  • Leadership requirements at different stages of team development
  • Communicating organizational context to teams
  • Conveying a tangible, actionable corporate vision
  • Developing outcome-based goals and objectives
  • Setting clear, flexible objectives under uncertainty
  • Overview of 10 essential team leadership competencies

Module 2 – Managing Individual Differences

• Focus: Adapting leadership to meet the needs of team members and stakeholders
• Key Topics:
  • Recognizing assertive and responsive behaviors
  • Understanding four primary styles: Analytical, Driver, Amiable, Expressive
  • Receiving feedback on personal management style
  • Identifying and addressing team member expectations
  • Practicing versatile leadership for diverse situations
  • Developing strategies for engaging key stakeholders

Module 3 – Communication and Advocacy: Questioning, Listening, and Presentation Skills

• Focus: Developing communication skills essential for effective leadership
• Key Topics:
  • Overcoming team communication barriers
  • Practicing active and empathetic listening
  • Applying open and closed questioning techniques
  • Designing questioning strategies for team issues
  • Building trust in communication processes
  • Developing advocacy and presentation skills
  • Creating communication strategies for leadership effectiveness

Module 4 – Team Building and Empowerment

• Focus: Strengthening team cohesion and adapting leadership to changing circumstances
• Key Topics:
  • Distinguishing between groups and true teams
  • Identifying differences between task-focused and self-directed teams
  • Developing shared team goals and outcomes
  • Understanding interpersonal dynamics in team interactions
  • Delegating and empowering team members
  • Establishing effective feedback systems
  • Recognizing and celebrating team achievements

Module 5 – Coaching and Managing Performance

• Focus: Mentoring, coaching, and managing team performance effectively
• Key Topics:
  • Identifying underlying issues behind reactions and emotions
  • Understanding team empathy and its importance
  • Creating strategies to manage conflict and reactions
  • Differentiating between mentoring (high directive/low inquiry) and coaching (low directive/high inquiry)
  • Identifying team development needs along the mentoring/coaching continuum
  • Applying key interaction skills for effective coaching