6 Benefits of Attending an Executive Course in Leadership5 min read

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“”If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

 

John Quincy Adams

An invaluable trait for executives, leadership is much more than what meets the eye. Think about a former colleague, boss or teacher who truly inspired you. Perhaps they didn’t have a fancy title – but they made you feel compelled to do great things. That’s part of the essence of a being a great leader. Can you imagine yourself doing the same for others?

Leadership in the workplace certainly comes with experience, but can also be learned and refined through targeted executive education. In our previous post, we named leadership as one of the top in-demand skills for executives in 2020. Now, we’ll focus on this skill in more detail by highlighting the benefits of leadership executive training. 

Let’s get right to it. Here are six key benefits of attending an executive leadership course. 

Your communication will improve. 

Communication is an art – especially when it comes to how it’s used for leadership. Leaders must make decisions and direct others without coming across as domineering. They must also be able to understand the personalities and motivations of their teams in order to communicate in a balanced, effective manner. 

An executive course in leadership puts your communication skills to the test in a safe, nurturing environment. This allows you to improve and gain experience in real-world scenarios, and equips you with the tools for engaging in active listening and building up emotional intelligence (because we all know that the best communication comes through understanding others).

You’ll gain confidence to create your vision.

When leading a team or organization, you must be willing to make the big, tough decisions. You may not always be popular, but it’s only through these choices that your greater vision will come to life. An executive leadership course leads you through scenarios and exercises that not only help you refine your instincts, but also trust in them. 

Leadership education also teaches you to push through personal blocks that may otherwise hinder the progress of your coworkers and teams. For example, instead of allowing your tough day to get in the way of a big meeting, you’ll be able to compartmentalize these negative thoughts and carry on with effective leadership. Others merely need to perceive your confidence, so it’s okay if it’s not always there. 

Team-building will come more naturally. 

As a leader in today’s business world, it’s likely that at some point you’ll have to build or manage a team. Executive leadership training gives you a distinct advantage in understanding how people work with one another. Many executive education programs have participants working directly with each other in commonplace business scenarios. If you’re offered these opportunities to test the waters as a leader in an executive program, you’ll gain valuable experience that will guide you when it’s time to make a real impact. 

You’ll learn from other leaders and grow your network. 

Whether you select a leadership course led by an esteemed thought leader or make connections with other classmates, chances are you’ll be offered game-changing perspectives by others who are dedicated to the same cause as you. The new contacts formed through executive leadership education aren’t listed in any course description, and they’re not a core component of a curriculum – but they are undeniably a part of the experience. Your classmates may end up being lifelong business partners or important sounding boards for professional ideas. If you open yourself to opportunities for these connections, you may end up embarking on some of the most important professional journeys of your career. 

You’ll have the know-how to take on bigger responsibilities and projects (think sustainability, leading large and cross-functional teams, manage stressful changes, etc.).

Imagine being presented with a major task at your company: Your boss wants to adopt new standards throughout upper management that create a more sustainable future for the business. Not only is this an opportunity for you to guide the company to success, but it’s also a challenge to help shape how others approach their work. This is where your executive leadership training can be put to the test in new ways. Leadership doesn’t just have to be about immediate results. Consider how your ability to lead will trickle down into future generations through the work that you do – or, even more directly, through your mentoring of other leaders. 

You’ll be ready for what’s next in your career. 

Leadership is among the most important traits for any C-level executive. If you’re looking for a new challenge, an executive leadership course can demonstrate to employers how committed you are to steering the ship. It’s an investment into your future that can produce both measurable and immeasurable returns.

So why not take the leap? Take a moment to search among the top leadership courses and select the criteria that are right for you. Looking for recommendations? The Coursalytics team strongly urges you to check out the following accredited and highly rated courses:

Programs in Europe:

Leading People and Teams – by the European School of Management and Technology

Programs in North America:

Emerging Leaders Program: Becoming a Transformational Leader – by Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Leadership at the Peak – Center for Creative Leadership

High-Potential Leaders: Accelerating Your Impact – by The Wharton School

Programs in Australia:

Advanced Management Program – by Melbourne Business School