A program specifically designed for leaders and public officials displaying great development potential, was modeled to offer new knowledge but also help them arrange the knowledge they already have, and summarize their practical experience in the field of management. Discovery!, the first joint program of Lviv Business School and the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) has come to an end.
In the course of 5 modules, 10 program participants were trained to manage highly-efficient teams, act as leaders, employ relevant communication strategies, manage projects in the times of change, and also walked the path from self-awareness to self-leadership. Participation in every module required prior individual preparations.
Discovery! program was taught by Daniel Lewis, a highly-qualified business-consultant with 30 years of experience occupying top management positions in various leading Blue Chip companies like Nestle, General Motors, SABMiller and Heineken. He assisted the companies in promoting managerial and leadership skills.
“What is management? It consists in achieving impressive results owing to a job well-done by others. We refer to it as “delegation,” – during the final module of Discovery! Daniel Lewis spoke about the difference between a leader and a manager, and about present-day priority of one of these roles.
During the graduation ceremony Lewis recited his own verse:
«What kind of leader are you going to be –
The kind who thinks he is the best?
Or will you be the one of very few greats
Who attributes success to the rest».
Three most memorable quotes from the course:
1. “Great leaders have to be able to influence others. Best way to achieve this is through speaking to large audiences. By improving your presentation skills you can increase the scope of your influence on others, and also grow your potential of becoming a good leader. This is an acquired skill (nobody was born a firs-rate speaker!) During the module we increased the levels of self-awareness, mastered the instruments of change and created opportunities to test them in the field,”- Daniel Lewis emphasized.
2. How to spot a passive person? You can rely on several criteria:
- They want everybody to like them
- They accept any assignments
- They are “sorry” afterwards
- They avoid conflicting situations
- They are likely to procrastinate/incapable of making up their mind
- They can’t say “no”
3. The ability to acknowledge one’s mistakes and respond adequately to criticism, according to the trainer, are the main signs of assertive behavior. Such manner of behavior motivates the employee to change, grow and expect more of oneself.
The program finished with a one-day closing ceremony, where the participants shared their achievements and took their graduation exam, the results of which will be evaluated by experts from the Institute of Leadership and Management in London. So far, the program participants who passed their exam successfully received a Certificate issued by Lviv Business School of the Ukrainian Catholic University. Next step is obtaining a Certificate from the Institute of Leadership and Management.
