Learning & Professional Development
Creating a Culture of Exceptional Leadership
Creating a Culture of Exceptional Leadership is an exciting new program designed to help Brown’s top administrative leaders become exceptional managers and to create a stronger culture of respect based on the ten fundamental principles that guide our human resources philosophy to which we, all members of the university, are assertively committed to fulfilling in our day-to-day work.
The Center for Applied Research (CFAR), the management consulting firm selected to design and deliver the program, has planned this unique program for Brown’s administrative leaders. The result will be an experience that builds on a self-directed (campaign) approach to learning, rather than a traditional, lecture-based effort, which will engage leaders in developing meaningful approaches to improving administrative practices and to exploring behaviors that will advance Brown’s fundamental principles.
A series of cohorts of approximately 50 administrative leaders will be participating in this combination of action-learning and building best practices approach. Research supports the campaign approach, indicating that giving a person a voice in decisions gives them a stake in the outcome and makes the changes “stick,” and that allowing organizations to work together on solutions facilitates learning on multiple levels.
First Cohort-Congratulations, Campus Life and Student Services!
The first cohort consisted of administrative leaders from Campus Life and Student Services who began their work in November of 2007. The cohort participated in two workshops. The first workshop was devoted to identifying practices needed (e.g., coaching, mentoring) and to forming action learning teams. These action learning teams conducted targeted investigations to identify places on campus where the desired practice already exists and learn from those examples, conducted external research, explored barriers, and determined how to overcome those barriers. At the second workshop, action learning teams presented their findings, shared their learning, and identified recommendations and action plans.
The outcome of the program will be a group of administrative leaders with a new set of experiences and skills, including a set of or proposals about specific practices, administrative processes, professional development programs, and suggestions about how to build these into our day-to-day work. Please contact clpd@brown.edu for further information.