Bloch Strategic Leadership Program
During the six-month program, you will be introduced to instructors who bring real-world experience into the classroom. Through scenario-based learning across a wide-range of business and leadership topics, problem solving, and hands-on application, you will gain perspectives and approaches to leading organizations through change and towards success. The following is an overview of what will be covered in each month of the program. We will be posting the next cohorts dates soon.
Month One
In the first month of the program, participants are introduced to strategic tools and frameworks and provided the context necessary to begin approaching business challenges from multiple perspectives. Participants will be introduced to their project team and begin to address this work with a project sponsor.
February 8, 2024 (8:30am – 4pm)
In-person Session / UMKC Bloch Executive Hall Room 414 (virtual Zoom option available)
2024 Strategic Leadership Program Kickoff (8:30am – 1pm)
Program and Project Overview & Leadership Awareness
Instructor: Ann Hackett
Strategy Frameworks and Tools (1 – 4pm)
Instructor: Bryan Hong
This session introduces tools and frameworks that will be used throughout the program to identify, analyze, and address business opportunities and challenges. This session will focus on analyzing the current state of business by focusing on relevant case-based scenarios.
Objectives
- Strategically analyze real-world business examples focused on understanding the nature of business models
- Understand the core competencies of a business and explore opportunities for leveraging these assets
February 13, 2024 (8:30am – Noon)
Zoom Session
Business Landscape Analysis | A Macro Economic View
Instructor: Nathan Mauck
Macroeconomics and the state of various industries will be explored with a focus on growth, challenges, and opportunities. An introduction to market conditions, interconnections, and cause/effect relationships between policy and industry will be explored with focuses on regional, national, and international markets.
Objectives
- Explore key economic and policy relationships
- Identify resources for gathering and interpreting key economic indicators
February 29, 2024 (9am – 3pm)
In-person Session / UMKC Bloch Executive Hall Room 414 (virtual Zoom option available)
Bloch Design Works – Design Thinking and Project Consulting & Team Working Time
Design Thinking Introduction & Empathy (9am – Noon)
Instructor: Nick Yecke
Building upon the Design Thinking methodology for customer-focused problem solving, this session will set the stage for identifying and approaching a business problem that will be the focus of an in-class project for the next six months.
Objectives
- Discover the stages of the Design Thinking process and begin working with a team to address a business challenge by understanding the context and roots of the problem
- Identify key stakeholder groups and approaches for gathering research to begin defining the project focus
Team Working Time (Noon – 3pm)
Instructor: Ann Hackett
Month Two
In the second month of the program, participants debrief on project research and begin to apply that learning to understand the underlying causes of given challenges and create customer-informed solutions. Classroom time focused on understanding context and moving business forward through innovation and change will be introduced.
March 7, 2024 (8:30am – Noon)
Zoom Session
Business Insights and Analysis
Instructor: David Patrick
This session will focus on identifying business competitors and evaluating strategies to assess the strengths and weaknesses of existing products and services. Additionally, connections between competitive analysis and marketing strategy will be explored.
Objectives
- Assess forces affecting a company, its products, and services and market position
- Apply tools to understand the unique value and opportunities available to organizations
March 27, 2024 (1 – 4:30pm)
Zoom Session
Corporate Innovation Masterclass
Instructor: Wai Lee
Corporate innovation veteran, Wai Lee, will share how his incubation Labs helped Garmin survive disruption and return to sustainable growth. Participants will follow case-based examples to utilize various frameworks to discover new market opportunities and invent new product categories with confidence.
Objectives
- Discover frameworks for identifying and assessing strategic growth opportunities.
- Explore how to minimize risks and maximize new product success rate.
March 25, 2024 (1 – 4:30pm)
Zoom Session
Leading Yourself and Others Through Change
Instructor: Mike Allison
The only constant in the world is change. Technological advancements, unpredictable business landscapes, and shifting cultural norms are impacting work environments like never before. As such, professionals and the organizations they represent must constantly reinvent themselves or risk becoming obsolete. Doing so is not easy as changing individual behavior is difficult. Changing organizational behaviors that lead to real business results feels impossible. Today, the vast majority of individual and organizational change efforts fail. And yet, there are professionals who truly make a difference and positively impact their personal and professional surroundings. They often understand the “science” around influencing others.
Key concepts covered in the session include:
- Learn why most change efforts fail
- Explore best practices for engaging and leading others through change, on an ethical foundation, to achieve desired results
- Understand why people do not truly transition without an emotional connection being made
- Explore best practice change management models which help enable measurable results
- Go over the “Top 7” ways leaders must get out in front of change efforts if they are to be successful
March 28, 2024 (9am – 3pm)
In-person Session / UMKC Bloch Executive Hall Room 414 (virtual Zoom option available)
Bloch Design Works – Design Thinking and Project Consulting & Team Working Time
Customer Centered Problem Definition
Instructor: Nick Yecke
During facilitated working time, project teams will begin to assemble initial approaches to addressing their assigned business challenges while considering various stakeholders throughout their design process. Additionally, project teams will begin to create the foundations of a business case for addressing their project.
Objectives
- Define problem statements taking into consideration multiple perspectives
- Create plans for engaging with stakeholders to refine understanding of problem areas
Team Working Time (Noon – 3pm)
Instructor: Ann Hackett
Month Three
In the third month of the program, participants continue to apply lessons learned from project-related research and iterate on evolving approaches to addressing business challenges. Classroom time will focus on understanding business finance and the future of industry as well as approaches for leading organizations through influence.
April 4, 2024 (1 – 4:30pm)
Zoom Session
Emotional Intelligence is the New Currency of Professional Success
Instructor: Mike Allison
Participants will explore and understand the direct link between high emotional intelligence (EQ) and leadership success. Numerous recent studies show that society’s most effective leaders cultivate strong emotional intelligence skills. In fact, one such comprehensive study carried out across a variety of organizations determined that 90 percent top performers have high EQ. Leaders who incorporate EQ techniques into their lives experience great personal and professional gain. In addition to being grounded, they more easily seize new opportunities, manage difficult situations, make sound decisions based on fact, and set an energizing tone both inside and outside the workplace.
During an interactive and multi-media driven session, participants will discover:
- Qualities consistently possessed by great leaders
- Distinctions between intelligence quotient (IQ), technical quotient (TQ), and emotional intelligence (EQ)
- The four key elements which make up emotional intelligence
- Why influence and true leadership cannot occur without high EQ
- Steps that can be taken to enhance EQ skills
Participants will learn that in order to truly lead others and maximize results through EQ, one must:
- Master self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationships
- Exhibit genuine empathy. Make others feel it is about them and you have their best interests at heart
- Thoughtfully harness individual emotions and the emotions of others
April 9. 2024 (1 – 4:30pm)
Zoom Session
Leadership for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Transformational Approach
Instructor: Kevin Sansberry
Organizations may be equipped to manage traditional business dynamics, yet often lack the acuity for fostering an inclusive and equitable environment. In this course, participants will utilize case-based examples to appreciate the intricate challenges of integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into leadership practices and uncover practical strategies to transcend these barriers.
Objectives
- Assess organizational structure and support needed to promote and sustain DEI initiatives effectively.
- Evaluate the essential tools, attitudes, and mindset required for leaders to champion diversity and inclusivity within their teams and broader organizations.
April 18, 2024 (8:30am – Noon)
Zoom Session
Financial Analysis for Executives
Instructor: Nathan Mauck
This session will provide participants with an overview of the key financial reports that demonstrate the financial performance of an organization. By understanding financial performance over time, participants will assess trends, opportunities and challenges.
Objectives
- Analyze primary financial reports including cash statements and annual reports
- Understand the drivers of financial performance and learn to recognize financial threats
April 25, 2024 (9am – 3pm)
In-person Session / UMKC Bloch Executive Hall Room 414 (virtual Zoom option available)
Bloch Design Works – Design Thinking and Project Consulting & Team Working Time
Ideation and Stakeholders (9am – Noon)
Instructor: Nick Yecke
During facilitated working time, project teams will tap collective creativity and iterate on approaches to problem solving with a focus on developing more than one possible solution. Further work on developing the business case will include documenting research.
Objectives
- Develop and iterate on solution concepts for addressing identified problem focus
- Synthesize and summarize project research and feedback
Team Working Time (Noon – 3pm)
Instructor: Ann Hackett
Month Four
In the fourth month of the program, participants will move forward with a problem solution and begin to build out a project approach and plan. Classroom time will focus on the business of decision making, driving product creation and implementation, as well as developing presence as a leader.
May 1, 2024 (8:30am – Noon)
Zoom Session
Risk Analysis and Decision Making
Instructor: Nathan Mauck
Risk can be hard to spot, let alone prepare for and manage. This makes Risk Analysis an essential tool when your work involves making decisions that affect business performance. This session will focus on tools and frameworks for assessing risk and making informed business decisions.
Objectives
- Uncover analysis tools to assess the risk of business positions and decisions
- Apply decision making methodologies to contemporary business examples
May 9, 2024 (8:30am – Noon)
Zoom Session
Planning for Projects and Change
Instructor: Ann Hackett
The old adage is as true today as ever, ‘the devil is in the details,’ and in the case of developing and implementing projects within an organization of any size, small mistakes can have unforeseen repercussions. In this session, participants will explore tools to help manage both the organization of projects as well as the implementation of change plans designed to integrate projects across existing operations.
Objectives
- Explore the vital role that effective and consistent communication has across project and change management
- Analyze project and change plans to identify risks, dependencies, assumptions, and to develop implementation timelines and resource budgets
May 21, 2024 (8:30am – Noon)
Zoom Session
Harnessing the Power of Influence and Persuasion
Instructor: Mike Allison
Leaders who move the meter understand how to authentically influence others. They shape the opinions of peers, stakeholders, clients, and direct reports. Without influence, you cannot be successful in advancing the businesses, organizations, and people you serve. During this interactive session, you will learn how to more effectively persuade others while exploring multiple dimensions of power and political agility. Discussions and activities will include a focus on the state of internal and external networks.
You will specifically learn that in order to influence and persuade others:
- Solidifying trust must be a primary focus
- Your network must be defined, cohesive, and flourishing
- You must focus on servant leadership and instilling reciprocity
- The four keys to the “Necessary art of Persuasion” must be leveraged
May 23, 2024 (9am – 3pm)
In-person Session / UMKC Bloch Executive Hall Room 414 (virtual Zoom option available)
Bloch Design Works – Design Thinking and Project Consulting & Team Working Time
Prototyping (9am – Noon)
Instructor: Nick Yecke
During facilitated working time, project teams will choose one project solution and begin to build their project plan. The business case will evolve and include additional structure on what will be needed to develop and implement the chosen solution.
Objectives
- Practice low fidelity prototyping and various approaches for sharing product or solution concepts
- Further refine business cases and gather additional feedback from identified stakeholders
Team Working Time (Noon – 3pm)
Instructor: Ann Hackett
Month Five
In the fifth month of the program, participants will continue to build out their problem solution and refine the associated project plan. Classroom time will focus on tools for managing project and change initiatives, understanding marketing strategy, and developing executive level communication skills.
June 4, 2024 (1 – 4:30pm)
Zoom Session
Equity in Action: Implementing Inclusion Strategies for Organizational Success
Instructor: Kevin Sansberry
While organizations excel in running existing business systems, they often struggle to implement meaningful and enduring practices of inclusion and equity. Participants in this course will delve into case studies that illustrate the complexity of bringing these essential values to life within corporate settings, uncovering practical approaches to navigate the journey towards a more inclusive and equitable organization.
Objectives
- Appraise the organizational structure and reinforcement necessary to operationalize inclusion and equity.
- Assess the indispensable tools and mindset necessary to drive these principles into every layer of an organization, influencing its culture, policies, and practices.
June 6, 2024 (1 – 4:30pm)
Zoom Session
How Leaders Create Passionate and Meaningful Cultures
Instructor: Mike Allison
Noted researcher, author, and “culture guru” Edgar Schein famously stated that the only thing of importance leaders do is create and manage culture. Leaders who create fulfilling work environments foster positive mindsets, actions, and real results. They know that if they do not develop culture, it will develop itself. Culture does not happen by accident.
In this interactive and multimedia-driven session, leaders will begin by diagnosing culture in their current organizations. They will explore why vision, strategy, and values by themselves are not enough to propel a workforce forward. Ultimately, participants will understand how to create and sustain a desirable culture.
Specific topics include:
- A look at the definition of culture along with an exploration of what fuels passion and meaning
- How leaders must exercise “cultural intelligence” in understanding current cultures and sub-cultures
- Utilizing a “Culture IQ” assessment to determine existing culture characteristics
- A deep dive into how great leaders create passionate and meaningful cultures
- Start with a personal “WHY” and connect that to the organization’s values
- Build trust across all levels
- Understand the behavior science behind inspired communication and storytelling
- Remain grounded at all times
- Create transparency
June 26, 2024 (1 – 4:30pm)
Zoom Session
From Ideation to Execution
Instructor: Wai Lee
Organizations are optimized for running and sustaining existing businesses, but often not set up well for incubating new ones. Participants will follow case-based examples to understand the complexity of driving new ideas through corporate hurdles and discover practical guides to overcome them.
Objectives
- Evaluate the organization structure and support needed to bring new ideas to markets.
- Evaluate the essential tools and mindset required to drive execution.
June 21, 2024 (9am – 3pm)
In-person Session / UMKC Bloch Executive Hall Room 414 (virtual Zoom option available)
Bloch Design Works – Design Thinking and Project Consulting & Team Working Time
Beta Testing and Feedback (9am – Noon)
Instructor: Nick Yecke
During facilitated working time, project teams will test their project solutions through teamwork and consumer testing. The business case will continue to evolve and include beta test results and refinements.
Objectives
- Conduct Beta Testing of primary solutions through team and consumer feedback
- Further refine business case to represent test results and solution refinement
Team Working Time (Noon – 3pm)
Instructor: Ann Hackett
Month Six
In the sixth and concluding month of the program, project teams will deliver a project pitch to an audience of executives and submit their final business case plans.
July 2, 2024 (8:30am – Noon)
Zoom Session
Executive Storytelling | The Art of the Presentation
Instructor: Mike Allison
Professionals are continuously assessed by how well they can communicate information both formally and informally. Studies show that those who are able to clearly articulate facts and points of view often enjoy greater professional success. In this session, participants will take part in a half-day master class that will provide ample opportunity for developing executive communication skills.
Objectives
- Developing high interest presentations which “stick” with participants
- Incorporating attention grabbing techniques to stimulate the minds of those in attendance while maintaining focus on key points
- Establishing executive presence through proper body language, tone, and word choice
- Building confidence and remaining calm under pressure
- Closing with actionable next steps
- PowerPoint do’s and don’ts
- Virtual communication (Zoom, etc.) do’s and don’ts
July 10, 2024 (1 – 4:30pm)
Zoom Session
Creating an Applied Learning Plan
Instructor: Ann Hackett
July 12, 2024 (8:30am – Noon)
Zoom Session
Final Project Feedback and Working Session
Instructor: Ann Hackett
July 25, 2024 (9am – 3pm)
In-person Session / UMKC Bloch Executive Hall Room 414 (virtual Zoom option available)
Client Presentations and Project Debrief
After receiving final feedback from peers, sponsors, and instructors, the project teams will present their final project proposals and deliver final project plans. This culminating presentation will be an opportunity to both pitch an innovative solution and to demonstrate executive communication skills.
Objectives
- Deliver a high-quality, rehearsed, professional presentation to a senior level audience
- Produce an informed, researched, and creative business plan that incorporates tools and considerations learned throughout the Strategic Leadership Program
