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Course List

The Leadership Journey

Developed around our proprietary burst learning model, we offer a series of short, bite-sized courses focused on developing 10 core leadership skills. Courses reinforce and build upon each other, creating a culture of change and continuous improvement in your organization.

1. First Things First: Building Key Leadership Skills

Whether you’re an experienced leader or new to your leadership role, your main challenge lies in figuring out where to apply your efforts and your time. In this course you will learn:

  • The significant difference between an individual and a leadership role.
  • Why having high expectations of your employees is a vital leadership skill.
  • The importance of being prepared to make decisions and take action.
  • How calculated risks drive organizational performance.

2. Six Fundamental Characteristics of the Best Workplace Leaders
Gain the most traction, in the least amount of time, by assessing and improving your leadership skills. In this course you will learn:

  • The six leadership characteristics most valued by followers.
  • How to encourage your followers to be candid and truthful with you.
  • A simple process to ensure a continuous flow of ideas from your followers.
  • How a leader’s ability to listen well is crucial to improving performance.

3. Giving Crystal-Clear Instructions That Result in Action Without Any Misunderstanding
Have you ever given an employee what you thought was a crystal-clear instruction only to discover later on that they didn’t quite get it? In this course you will learn:

  • A simple five-step method for giving clear directions.
  • How to ensure your employees take action – the first time you ask.
  • Why two-way dialog is critical in achieving a successful outcome.
  • One powerful way to confirm understanding, even with your most challenging employees.

4. How to Hold Employees Accountable for Their Performance
Employees must be held accountable for their work in order for departments and organizations to perform at their best. In this course you will learn:

  • A six-step accountability model.
  • How to clarify and clearly communicate your expectations.
  • How to find time to hold your employees accountable.
  • To create a culture of accountability and personal responsibility.

5. Key Listening Strategies for Leaders
Good leaders develop good listening habits that support empowerment, change, and initiative among team members. In this course you will learn:

  • What it takes to listen well.
  • How to use powerful words that will unlock your listening potential.
  • To use open-ended questions and positive comments to encourage dialogue.
  • How a leader’s careful listening can foster innovative thinking.

6. How to Handle Troubled Employees:  Identify Them and Prevent Trouble Before It Starts
All leaders find they must deal with troubled employees now and then – responsible leaders prepare for the inevitable situation by learning when to be concerned and how to intervene. In this course you will learn:

  • How to recognize the common signs of a troubled employee.
  • Three ways to respond to and help troubled employees.
  • Five tips to prevent troubling situations.
  • How to encourage open communication.

7. Effective Interpersonal Communication Skills for Leaders
A leader’s success depends on their ability to develop strong interpersonal relationships and to influence others. In this course you will learn:

  • How to think about and present ideas from the other person’s perspective.
  • How to give constructive negative feedback in a way that boosts morale.
  • Two proven methods for positively influencing others.
  • To avoid one word that has the power to erase all the positive feedback you have given.

8. Attitude Adjustment Strategies that Turn Setbacks into Opportunities
Effective leaders watch for opportunities for constructive action that sometimes appear in the midst of adversity. In this course you will learn:

  • To respond to adversity with positive thinking and positive actions.
  • Specific questions to ask yourself to stop negative thinking.
  • Three strategies for becoming an optimistic thinker.
  • What to do in the face of any adversity.

9. Building Trust and Respect: How to Earn the Right to Speak and be Heard
We all listen more closely to people we respect, and we trust those we believe have our best interest at heart. In this course you will learn:

  • What it takes to earn the trust and respect of others.
  • How to be consistent in your words and actions.
  • Why trust and integrity are so important to organizational and team effectiveness.
  • How to be the type of leader people will listen to and follow.

10. How to Give Feedback Without Causing Defensiveness
Leaders are expected to provide feedback to employees and coworkers in a way that it is clearly understood, preserves healthy working relationships, and sets the stage for future positive interactions. In this course you will learn:

  • What prevents people from listening to criticism and how you can help.
  • A five-step approach to giving constructive feedback that result in positive behavior change.
  • An easy language tool that helps your tone be empathetic and respectful, yet direct and assertive.
  • To use specific words that cause openness instead of defensiveness.

11. Build Accountability and Trust with Positive Confrontations
Every leader should be able to shift a potentially negative confrontation into a future-focused problem-solving dialogue. In this course you will learn:

  • Eight steps to turn confrontations into receptive conversations.
  • Four essential messages in positively-scripted feedback.
  • Follow-up strategies that ensure accountability and improve trust.
  • How to tell if you are the problem.

12. Twenty-One Career Accelerators
You reveal a lot about your character and abilities to coworkers and superiors by the way you conduct yourself throughout the day. In this course you will learn:

  • How to communicate more effectively and with authority.
  • The “magic” that results from doing more than is expected.
  • How to increase the likelihood that you will appear on the short list of candidates considered for future opportunities.
  • How to develop productive habits that will improve your effectiveness.

Request a Free Training Consultation and Price Quote

  1. Get answers to your questions, including pricing.
  2. Learn best practices from your industry.
  3. Receive a custom training plan that meets your needs.

Request a Free Consultation

The Leadership Journey Testimonials

Testimonials are grouped by function. Select the group you would like to review.

Human Resources, Organizational Development, and Training

  • "I have seen an improvements in our organization. I have been talking to other HR Professionals encouraging them to check out this program. If they do nothing more than view the free preview, it is well worth their time."

    - David Scott, Director of Human Resources, Steel Summit Holdings
  • "We chose to invest in The Leadership Journey because our supervisors and managers haven't had actual training, and we wanted to provide them with tools and skills to succeed."

    - Stacie Lautrup, Director of Human Resources, Benefit & Risk Management Services
  • "I love that the courses are short. When I instructed for the Wilson Learning program it was multiple 8 hour days, I love that your courses are so short and to the point."

    - Andrea Otis, Owner, Milwaukee Grill, Certified Wilson Learning Facilitator
  • "The lessons are very practical and deal with common sense principles rather than a lot of theories."

    - Tiffani Doyle, HR Manager, ACS Government Solutions
  • "We have many supervisors who are excellent in their field (e.g. Chemists, Biologists, and Engineers) and because they are excellent employees they were promoted into supervisory positions - without having any real supervisory training. We chose The Leadership Journey to train our people because the lessons are short, precise and are taught in a way people can remember what they have learned."

    - Lisa Alexander, Director of Training and Development, Sherry Laboratories
  • "What a HIT!  The entire session was a lot of discussion and interaction by the group."

    - Allison Moore, Human Resource Manager, Lancaster Pollard and Company
  • "The great selling point of The Leadership Journey was that it was easy to understand and interactive to keep everyone interested throughout each course."

    - Stacie Lautrup, Director of Human Resources, Benefit & Risk Management Services
  • "We wanted to provide leadership development opportunities to prepare our associates for their future here.  This year 76% of the associates that went through The Leadership Journey were promoted."

    - Terri Stewart, Leadership Development Manager, Micro Center
  • "We are so pleased with our purchase of The Leadership Journey and excited about future sessions!  This was truly a wise, long-term investment for our agency."

    - Cory Richardson-Lauve, Training Manager, Virginia Home for Boys and Girls
  • "As a group exercise in one course, teams of three created proposals to present to our President.  The ideas were so well thought out that he virtually adapted all of them."

    - Gary Cameron, Human Resources Director, Mitchell Grocery

Operations and Plant Management

  • "Our supervisors came up through the ranks, with mostly technical knowledge. They never received formal on-going training on how to lead people. This is why we liked the idea of using The Leadership Journey.  It helped us develop groups of supervisors allowing them to learn critical skills like coaching, listening, and leading others."

    - Dan Sandvik, Vice President of Production, Daily Printing
  • "The Personal Action Plan is one of the many excellent tools we use. It helps the staff apply new skills and ideas they have learned, and guides them to use the skills back on-the-job."

    - Dan Bryan, NEBB Certified Professional, Training and Development Coordinator, Advance Air Systems
  • "Having team members share experiences, concerns, and relevant applications generates great value and helps the team members transform into leaders."

    - Steve Wilson, Continuous Improvement Process Manager, Integrated Power Services
  • "We have established good sound practices for our leaders as a result of The Leadership Journey."

    - Gus Myran, VP of Operations, Contour Plastics
  • "I believe our productivity increase was caused by the training and by providing additional attention to our supervisors and team leaders. Having them know we care about their development is important."

    - Roger Stills, Plant Manager, CBL Klein
  • "The Leadership Journey has proven to be an excellent tool for PALCO to train and enhance leadership skills necessary for success. It is well received by employees because it's interesting, challenging to the mind, and to the point."

    - Henry S. Long, Jr., Director of Sawmill Operations, PALCO
  • "Our supervisors are promoted based on their job skills, and we thought The Leadership Journey would be a great opportunity to help them grow and develop their leadership skills."

    - Judy Kunz, Plant Manager, Fjord, Ltd.

Executive and General Management

  • "Using the action plans really helped us achieve a change in their behavior.  They can take a nugget from the material, develop it, work on it for 30 days and make a habit out of it."

    - Todd Weber, Executive Vice-President of Tire Sales Operations, Bauer Built, Inc.
  • "This product has been a great benefit to our organization. It has helped give our Managers and Supervisors the confidence they need to manage their daily challenges."

    - Todd DeLack, Casino General Manager, Grand Portage Lodge & Casino
  • "After just a few courses, the communication and interaction we are experiencing from the participants is amazing. The teams are so enthused with the courses they protested when we attempted to reschedule a session due to an upcoming holiday."

    - Shelly Pendlebury, Executive Director, Hayworth Communities Inc
  • "All of the feedback was very positive, and the program exceeded our expectations. Since starting the program 2 years ago, we have retained every key player; not a single manager or supervisor has left our company. In fact, half of our company chose to complete the program, not just our managers and supervisors."

    - John Reynolds, Executive Vice President, The Dynamic Group
  • "All of the feedback was very positive, and the program exceeded our expectations. Since starting the program 2 years ago, we have retained every key player; not a single manager or supervisor has left our company."

    - John Reynolds, Executive Vice President, The Dynamic Group
  • "This versatile curriculum addresses the relevant day-to-day leadership skills our supervisors must know to successfully build highly effective work teams."

    - Jeff Baker, Director of Operations, The Shade Tree Service Company
  • "My team found this to be one of the best training and education forums they have experienced in their careers."

    - Doug Young, Senior Vice President, KeyBank
  • “…lively, engaging, but most important useful...”

    - Doug Sharps, CFO, Executive Vice President, Trover Solutions, Inc.
  • "We have been a small, entrepreneurial company that recently tripled in size. It was time for us to pay serious attention to growing and nurturing our new crop of leaders. The Leadership Journey was the perfect answer."

    - Brae Jacobson, Chief Operating Officer, Corphealth
  • "I love that the courses are short. When I instructed for the Wilson Learning program it was multiple 8 hour days, I love that your courses are so short and to the point."

    - Andrea Otis, Owner, Milwaukee Grill, Certified Wilson Learning Facilitator

Request a Free Training Consultation and Price Quote

  1. Get answers to your questions, including pricing.
  2. Learn best practices from your industry.
  3. Receive a custom training plan that meets your needs.

Request a Free Consultation

Frequently Asked Questions for The Leadership Journey

Questions are grouped by category. Click any question to see its answer.

General Overview

What skills will my supervisors and managers learn?

Supervisors and managers will learn soft skills like communication, conflict resolution, and how to manage peers. Click this link to view a complete list of skills.

Who is the audience?

Supervisors, managers, team leaders, and future leaders should participate in The Leadership JourneyClick this link to see a complete list of students who should participate. If you are wondering whether your students would be a good fit, a training consultant would be happy to help you. Contact one today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

How does it work?

Instead of a one-time training event, we offer a series of short, bite-sized courses focused on developing 10 core leadership skills for supervisors and managers. Courses teach practical skills that can be immediately applied back on the job. Learn how each of the 7 active learning components works within our proprietary burst learning model.

Can you describe your proprietary burst learning model?

There are 7 interactive learning components in each course that help students learn, internalize, and practice new skills – then apply them on the job with personalized action plans – all before learning the next skill. Learn more about our proprietary burst learning model.

How long is a course?

  • E-learning courses are 20-30 minutes.
  • Virtual learning courses are 30 or 60 minutes.
  • Classroom training sessions can last from 15 minutes to 2 hours depending on which active learning components you use and how long you want exercises and discussion to last.
  • Blended learning sessions have two parts. E-learning courses last 20-30 minutes. Group training sessions last 30 or 60 minutes.

Can I try a course?

Yes. Click this link to preview a course covering communication skills or conflict resolution. You will have complete access to both courses in a variety of delivery formats. You can also view and print Facilitator’s, Participant’s, and Follow-up Guides.

What support materials are available?

Support materials that include pre-assessments, note-taking guides, post-discussion questions, group exercises, quizzes, action plans, and follow-up exercises are available for every course. You can view and print Facilitator’s Guides, Participant Guides, and Follow-up Guides when previewing a course.

Implementation

What delivery formats are available?

Courses are available for group or self-paced learning. Delivery formats include blended learning, e-learning, classroom, virtual learning, small groups, web-based training, streaming video, webinars, and custom solutions. You can use our learning management system (LMS) or we can provide courses for your LMS.

How often should students take a course? (The Training Schedule)

When scheduling training sessions it is important to keep your organizational objectives in mind — you want to improve your supervisors’ and managers’ skills so they can benefit your organization.

It is critical that you don’t overwhelm your supervisors and managers with too many courses too close together and that they have time to apply their new skills back on the job with their personal action plans.

We recommend that students complete two courses a month (one course every two weeks), but implementation is different for every client. Here is a break-down of the course frequency from a recent survey of clients:

  • 2 courses per month = 54%
  • 1 course per month = 25%
  • 1 course per week = 12%
  • As needed, on-demand, time permitting = 5%
  • 1 course per quarter = 3%
  • All day event (3-6 courses in a day) = 1%

Course frequency really depends on your organization, your students’ time constraints, and the delivery format you intend to use.

A training consultant will help you create a schedule that will fit your exact needs. Contact one today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

Do the courses have to be taken in order?

Our instructional designers took a multi-pronged approach when they designed the curriculum. We recommend having your students complete the courses in order, but each course can stand alone. If there are specific skills that you want your supervisors and managers to work on immediately, go ahead and have them take that course first. There are few exceptions. A training consultant will be happy to help you, contact one today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

Does The Leadership Journey include group exercises, role-plays, and scenario-based learning?

Are Leader’s Guides (Facilitator’s Guides) available for every course?

Yes. Leader’s Guides are available for every course. (We call them Facilitator’s Guides.) You can view and print Facilitator’s Guides in the course preview.

Do group leaders have to be certified to facilitate training sessions?

No. Our Facilitator’s Guides are developed and written in such a way that anyone can lead training sessions. We believe if trainer certification is required to lead group training sessions that those materials may be too complex.

Your organization won’t have to waste time and money sending people away to learn how to lead a group training session. You won’t be locked into one or two employees who are certified facilitators — anyone can do it. Learn more about facilitating group training sessions with our materials.

Can anyone lead group training sessions?

Yes. Leading group training is easy with the Facilitator’s Guides and training materials we provide. Many of our clients don’t have HR professionals or trainers to lead sessions, so managers and students often take turns leading sessions. The materials provide the expertise. The group leader needs to know how to manage the clock and make sure one person doesn’t control the discussion. Learn more about the benefits of having your students and managers lead group training sessions.

Skill Application

What on-the-job tools ensure students apply skills in the workplace?

During a course each student will create a personal action plan laying out the specific steps they will take to apply new skills back on the job. When they return to the workplace they have their own step-by-step guide that makes it easy for them to implement new skills to address their challenges and opportunities. Learn more about personal action plans and holding students accountable for applying skills back on the job.

How do we hold students accountable for using their new skills?

Click this link to learn about the most popular options our clients use to hold their students accountable for using their new skills in the workplace. A training consultant would be happy to walk through the options that will work for your organization. Contact one today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

What is the best (easiest, quickest) follow-up method to ensure success?

The best (easiest, quickest) follow-up method depends on your organization’s culture, your supervisors and managers, and their managers. We suggest reading about the available options then contacting a training consultant that can help you choose one that will fit your needs. Contact a training consultant today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

What resources do students have when they are done?

We recommend that students put their completed Participant Guides into a 3-ring binder. (Even students who take e-learning courses are able to print their completed Participant Guides.) The 3-ring binder containing their materials will be a reference tool they can use throughout their careers. When a student is faced with a particular situation, they can pull out their binder for a quick review. If they still have access to The Leadership Journey, they can also retake courses as often as they like.

Return-on-Investment (ROI)

What changes will I see in my supervisors and managers who participate in The Leadership Journey?

They will transform into high-performing supervisors and managers. Click this link to review the actual results your supervisors and managers will experience. If you have any questions a Training Consultant would be happy to help you, contact one today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

What results can my organization expect?

Since 2002, our clients have had millions of dollars in savings and additional revenue as a result of their supervisors and managers completing The Leadership Journey. We guarantee you’ll see improvements in your organization. See actual results our clients achieved and learn more about our guarantee. If you have any questions a Training Consultant would be happy to help you, contact one today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

What will our Return-on-investment (ROI) be?

Every organization’s ROI is different. Most of our clients anticipate a return of five times their investment. Our client’s average first-year return is 570%. Learn how to calculate ROI for your organization.

Pricing

What is the cost of the training program?

Your organization’s investment depends on factors like the number of students, licensing model, and delivery format. A typical investment ranges from $100 to $600 student.

Discounts are based volume, so if you have an above average number of students participating your investment could be sustainably lower. Custom solutions may be higher. We can accommodate any scenario.

Contact a training consultant for pricing options by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872. After a short conversation, a training consultant will be able to give you pricing that fits your objectives.

BTE Company Information

How long have you been in business?

We have been providing training to supervisors and managers since 2002. Our founder and managing partner has been in media and seminar-based training since 1994.

Who are the Subject Matter Experts featured in your training?

Featured Experts in The Leadership Journey were hand-picked from over 750 of North America’s top authors, speakers, and trainers. We picked the very best for each competency. Learn more about our Subject Matter Experts and review their biographies.

What other training courses do you offer?

To find a complete list of the training courses we offer, click ‘Find Training’ at the top of this page. You will be able to search for training by topic, audience, and challenge. You can also talk to a training consultant to see if we have a program for your specific needs. Contact one today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

Do you offer a money-back guarantee?

Yes. Click this link to review our guarantee for The Leadership Journey. If you have any questions, contact a training consultant today by completing a short form or calling 1-800-541-7872.

Web-based Learning

What are the system requirements for taking online courses?

Courses can be taken on a PC, Mac, terminal, tablet, or smartphone. Our system requirements are minimal:

  • Internet connection
  • A web browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari

For video delivery, we partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to ensure quality and reliability. Streaming video quality automatically adjusts to your network’s settings and the student’s available bandwidth. Courses can be taken anywhere in the world.

Can we use your Learning Management System (LMS)?

Yes. Use of our LMS is included.

Can we use your course on our LMS?

Yes. We can provide courses in any format that you need. Complete a short form or call 1-800-541-7872 to talk with a Training Consultant who can get you a course to test on your LMS.

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