Find Your Leadership Signature (Part 2)

The most successful, fast-growing, companies do one thing differently from others: they've transformed the way individuals and organisations learn. To build the workforce of the future, businesses and their leaders need to be evolving constantly and embrace learning.

Designed to deliver concrete takeaways for up-and-coming managers, the NewCampus Learning Tracks are a series of live and interactive virtual workshops that aim to instill key leadership skills for the future of work.

In this second installment of the power skills you can pick up from the Learning Tracks, we put the spotlight on how to better manage cross functional teams, persuade, and perform under uncertainty. (You can read part 1 here)

Manage cross-functional teams

Cross-functional teams, which comprise people from all levels of an organisation, challenge the status quo and innovate on better ways to do things. Nobody alone will have all the answers, but smart collaboration from a cross-functional team can help find them. 

However, a study from Harvard Business Review revealed that 75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional. When managed poorly, these teams tend to collaborate ineffectively, produce subpar outcomes and have a low level of trust.

In this learning track, you’ll learn how to build relationships, tactfully navigate tough conversations, give and receive candid feedback and collaborate effectively.

• Class 1 — Transform Conflict into Collaboration
  Expertly turn conflicts into successful partnerships by reframing your thinking.
• Class 2 — Nurture Relationships for Influence
  Learn how to nurture relationships between cross-functional teams through rapport-building methods.
• Class 3 — Give and Receive Impactful Feedback
  Portray your intended message through confident speech delivery.
• Class 4 — Initiate Difficult Conversations
  Learn how to initiate difficult conversations with empathy.

Persuasion

Business, in its technical processes, is transactional. But the reason we do business is because it is transformational.

When Steve Jobs offered John Scully, former president of PepsiCo, the chance to lead Apple as its CEO in 1983, Jobs popped the question: “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water? Or do you want to come with me and change the world?”

It was that chance to contribute to a “noble cause” that persuaded Scully to be Apple’s CEO for the next 10 years. In business, persuasion—defined as the ability to influence others to join one’s mission—is one of the most important factors for success, according to serial entrepreneurs. It’s not only important for winning over stakeholders, but it can also inspire your team to do their best and support your leadership vision.

In this learning track, you will learn how to create change through persuasive storytelling, gain stakeholder buy-in for projects and learn to negotiate effectively in any situation.

• Class 1 — Persuasive Storytelling
  Creatively persuade your audience and drive change through storytelling.
• Class 2 — Get Stakeholder Buy-In
  Learn how to gain stakeholder support to achieve your desired business results.
• Class 3 — Win-Win Negotiations
  Use the power of negotiation to build better business relationships.
• Class 4 — Build Credible Thought Leadership
  Drive projects forward through influential thought leadership.

Perform under uncertainty

As we all know, 2020 was a year unlike any other, where we found ourselves constantly thrown into the deep end of unfamiliar challenges.

Nonetheless, effective leaders—like Wang Chuanfu and Angela Merkel—have shown us that they have the ability to think on their feet in first-time situations. In entrepreneurship, business leaders who were down (but not out) are opening up new frontiers for a post-Covid world ahead.   

Looking into these individuals and companies, you’ll find a common thread: their ability to prioritise the needs of their organisations and anticipate future trends.

In this learning track, you will learn how to look into the future to strategise with an innovative approach, prioritise your time, improve decision making and navigate obstacles to achieve your outcomes.

• Class 1 — Prioritise Like World-Class Leaders
  Learn how to effectively set business priorities to successfully develop ideas and clinch opportunities.
• Class 2 — Futurecasting for Strategic Planning
  Understand how to strategically anticipate business needs to produce results.
• Class 3 — High-Stakes Decision Making
  Learn how to successfully deliberate high-stake matters to achieve better business outcomes.
• Class 4 — Turn Obstacles into Opportunities
  Understand how reframing tools can aid in overcoming business obstacles, leading to exponential growth.

Learning as a Leader

In 2020, keeping business leaders up at night were discussions on the importance of continual education, to learn, upgrade, and upskill. Companies are also investing in their employees’ training and learning development.

What power skills of leadership and management will you choose to invest in this year?

To sign up for the NewCampus Learning Tracks, you just need a few minutes to fill in this form here to register for any number of tracks you wish to join. We’ll see you in class!