Else School of Management
Advanced Applied Leadership Program
Explore Untapped Leadership Potential
The Advanced Applied Leadership Program (AALP) is a cohort-based, comprehensive certificate program designed to help aspiring mid-level and senior managers make the transition from functional roles to effective, big picture, strategic leadership in their organizations. The program offers a highly engaging experience that fosters personal and professional growth while providing skills and insights for immediate application at work.
What is AALP?
AALP Summary
The Advanced Applied Leadership Program is a comprehensive certificate program designed to help aspiring mid-level and senior managers and executives, make the transition from functional leadership to effective, big picture, executive leadership.
Participant
Profile
Mid-level and senior career executives, with expanding general management or cross-function responsibilities, who want to sharpen their strategic, analytical and leadership skills.
Key Takeaways
Participants gain the knowledge necessary to lead in today’s increasingly challenging environments, acquiring the analytical, strategic and leadership skills essential to success.
Program Dates
In 2025, the AALP program will run from February – October beginning with a half-day orientation in February, followed by a 2-day leadership retreat mid-April, with core courses occurring one day per month starting in May, as well as a choice of elective workshops each month. The program concludes in October, with a day of Capstone presentations delivered by each participant reflecting their application of skills and talents gained through the program and immediately followed by a graduation reception and ceremony. Sponsors and guests are invited to attend.
Instructors
AALP co-lead instructors include Deirdre Danahar of InMotion Consulting & Coaching and Chuck Sampson of Charles E. Sampson and Associates. Millsaps current and former faculty instructors include Dr. Blakely Fender, plus a host of other faculty, instructors, organizations and partnerships facilitating 10+ elective workshops.
Executive Development Workshops
Executive Coaching
Alongside group learning sessions with your cohort, you’ll undergo a personalized debrief of your LCP360 Inventory and results. Plus, you’ll have a one-on-one executive coaching session with a scholared practitioner. This session is tailored to assist you in crafting a personalized development plan to nurture your growth journey.
The Leadership Circle ProfileTM 360
We use the Leadership Circle Profile® a comprehensive leadership 360 assessment that Connects Patterns of Action with Habits of Thought.
The Leadership Circle Profile™ 360 delivers profound insights about your leadership strengths and areas for growth. Unlike traditional assessments, the LCP connects competencies with underlying motivations and habits of thought that drive much of our behavior. As leaders gain these insights, they have more leverage to make transformative change.
At a glance you see what is working, what is not, why and what you can do to develop as a leader.
Our lead faculty are Certified Leadership Circle® Practitioners. They will guide you through interpreting your results and crafting a tailored development plan.
The Leadership Circle Profile™ is created and owned by The Leadership Circle©
Program Investment
Corporate
per participant with group discounts and limited scholarships available.
Nonprofit
per participant for nonprofit, government and public sector thanks to a partnership with The Alliance for Nonprofits & Philanthropy.
Core Sessions
Unless specified otherwise, core sessions are from 9am to 4pm with lunch provided.
Orientation
Thursday, February 20
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
———-
The orientation will include a welcome, program kickoff and a chance to meet your fellow cohort members who will be participating in this experience with you. You will also have the opportunity to meet your instructors, faculty and staff; and hear from program alums. Plus, you will receive an overview of the program schedule, our approach, an overview of coursework and assignments, and expectations for success.
This day will set the tone for a great experience throughout the course of your program!
Leadership retreat
Thursday, April 24 & Friday, April 25
2-Day Event | 9:00 AM – 5:00PM
———-
During the 2-day retreat, you will explore insights gained from your Leadership 360 assessment including your personal strengths and development areas, your internal motivations and belief system, and how each of these impacts your effectiveness as a leader. This experience will also stimulate creative and critical thinking and will provide a tool you can leverage throughout the duration of the program. The personal insights learned are structured in a supportive, positive environment that strengthens each individual and the cohort as a whole.
* Team Building Dinner and celebration immediately following on Thursday
High-Impact Communications in the High-Performance Environment
Thursday, May 15
———-
During this course, you will uncover the principles of communication that drive your effectiveness as a leader under a variety of challenging conditions and learn practical applications that you can incorporate for immediate impact in your daily work environment and interactions.
We will also explore how psychological safety is established and its importance in creating high performance environments.
Performance Coaching
Thursday, June 12
———-
Coaching skills expand leader’s capacity to effectively connect and communicate with employees, peers, teams, and executives. Purposeful connection and effective communication diminish confusion, strengthens morale and accountability and fosters a productive workplace environment.
Using the Grow Model, you will examine and practice the nuances of questioning, listening and dialog to bring out the best in your people. You will build on your current coaching and leadership skill sets and are encouraged to bring your own real examples to work on in the course.
Productive Conflict
Thursday, July 10
———-
Conflict is an inevitable byproduct of human interaction and a necessary catalyst for a work group to become a team. Unproductive reactions to conflict vary between avoidance, passive-aggressive subversion or coercion – all of which sabotage a work group’s efforts at effective collaboration. This session introduces methods developed by the Program on Negotiation (Harvard, MIT and Tufts) for managing conflict. Understanding conflict as both an emotional and rational process, development of self-management skills that help mitigate the “emotional hijack” and skills for managing both interpersonal and organizational conflict will be emphasized.
Critical Thinking & Decision Making
Date TBD
———-
Throughout this course, you will explore a variety of ways individuals think and process information; and discover the impact of executive decision-making on organizational performance.
You will also learn behavioral theory, analytical tools and methods that improve organizational performance, and practical workplace applications that will lead to more impactful decision-making and improved outcomes.
Teams and Cross-Functional Collaboration
Thursday, September 11
———-
Many organizations use the term “team” to classify their workgroups. An IT organization, for example, might use a procurement team to specify system requirements and determine the most cost-effective means for obtaining hardware and software. Use of the term may reflect an intention of high levels of cooperation and performance but does not guarantee that the group will function as a team. Understanding how work groups develop, along with some of the pitfalls they face, can help team leaders and members assume responsibility for higher levels of performance.
Capstone Workday
Wednesday, October 1
———-
You will design and execute a presentation that explores your experience in AALP – one that inspires, has personal resonance, integrates the AALP course content and connects the insights gained from discussion groups and executive coaching sessions. The capstone is intended to provide a meaningful outlet to demonstrate how the program has influenced, expanded or challenged your unique skills, talents and strengths.
Capstone Experience
Thursday, October 2
———-
This is your opportunity to showcase your personal experience through individual presentations to AALP fellows, faculty and staff, coaches, sponsors and guests.
Graduation reception & ceremony
(Immediately following presentations)
How the advanced applied leadership program is structured
What can you expect to accomplish through the AALP?
AALP participants and their organizations gain the ability to:
- Clarify the roles and responsibilities of mid-level, senior and executive leaders and the competencies that distinguish excellence in their role.
- Develop advanced critical thinking and adaptive skills critical to solving complex business problems and aligning talent with opportunity.
- Establish a climate that builds trust, supports robust interaction and moves a team forward.
- Build a culture of high reliability that, in turn, drives profit, productivity, talent retention and customer loyalty.
- Create a leadership development plan paralleling distinctive capabilities and aspirations of each participant with those in their organization.
Program Details
- 1-2 business days per month for 8 months (February- October)
- Cohorts of 15-25
- Half-day Orientation (February)
- 2-day Leadership Retreat (mid-April)
- 7 Core Sessions (once a month; weekdays; blended learning approach with half or full day in person and remote sessions)
- Choice of 4 Executive Development Workshops in addition to Core Sessions (Weekdays 9a-3p)
- Individualized 360 Leadership Assessment + debrief and 1 executive coaching session (per participant)
- Capstone Experience / Individual Presentations
- Graduation reception and ceremony
- Personalized development experience with scholar practitioners + cohort-based learning environment in small group setting
Why Millsaps?
In their own words
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