Leadership Elite
a transforming certificate program
Tuesday mornings 9:00 to 12 Noon
September 16 through November 4, 2025
$3,000
Leadership is the most important aspect of organizational success.
Leaders provide vision. Leaders have the ability to lift others to tackle and complete tasks that seem impossible. Leaders influence our lives in deep and profound ways. Leaders change us and the organizations and industries in which they operate.
There is no simple leadership equation. There are, however, leadership principles and dimensions that each of us must explore, embrace and internalize if we are to become more effective leaders.
Leadership Elite is designed as an intense learning environment shared by Wichita State University’s most distinguished business educator, Dr. Gerald Graham.
The recommended leadership practices in this workshop are based on lessons learned in Dr. Graham’s five decades of leading, teaching, researching, writing and consulting.
You will take away knowledge of what effective leaders do, how they approach difficulties, and how they inspire others. Most importantly, you’ll understand an effective leader’s attitude and relationships with team members.
Whether you’ve just landed a leadership role in your company or have been a leader for years, adopting these practices will make you a more effective leader and increase your team’s performance with less stress.
Leadership: Who Are You?
- Anticipate surprises that accompany promotions
- Four rights you give up
- How to use structural and relationship tools
- What is your default style?
- Can you flex your style?
Purpose: What Is Your North Star?
- What is your purpose? Vision? Mission?
- Do you understand your core values?
- Are your objectives aligned?
- What gets measured gets done
Selection: Get the Best Talents on the Bus
- What selection tools are most predictive?
- How to structure interviews
- Do not overlook probationary periods
- How to make the best decision
Accountability: Connect Appraisals and Consequences
- Why managers and contributors dislike appraisals
- Three guidelines for improving appraisals and reducing frustrations
- Six tools for holding contributors accountable
- When to terminate? Tolerate?
Engagement: Communicate and Engage Contributors
- Understand the impact of filters
- How to listen actively
- How to be assertive while avoiding passive and aggressive
- What are the benefits of engaged contributors?
- Five measures of engagement
Motivation: Focus on Strengths and Relationships
- How to treat your stars
- Catch contributors doing things right
- How to encourage effort and attitude
- Why some may resist your requests
- Five techniques for influencing contributors
Teamwork: Execute Changes and Manage Conflict
- What is the value of a team charter?
- Four reasons why contributors may resist changes
- How to reduce resistance to change
- What is a good strategy for addressing conflicts
Issues: Three Current Issues
- Six things a remote work policy should include
- How to manage contributors of different generations
- How to effectively practice inclusivity
- Ideal contributors, structures, and leader practices
Leadership Elite is designed for experienced managers and leaders who want to sharpen their existing skills, discover new solutions to age-old problems, or who want a jot of fresh enthusiasm at this point in their careers.
Leadership Elite will help you build and maintain a culture that promotes trust, integrity and high performance by:
- Giving you a framework and tools to strengthen your leadership
- Heightening your awareness of blind spots and behaviors that reduce your effectiveness
- Increasing your flexibility to influence people’s performance
- Interacting with your professional peers to share and learn from one another
- Providing a risk-free setting to debate, challenge and grow from interaction with a recognized expert
Read through the program evaluation summaries from participants that have come through the Leadership Elite program. Their comments will confirm the game-changer that this program can be for you.
“Upon completion of the Leadership Elite Training course, I feel much more confident in my abilities to be a more effective leader. I learned specific ways to strengthen my leadership skills and discovered numerous methods of improving performance within my team that I can incorporate immediately to make a significant impact. I have a fresh perspective on what being an effective leader looks like. I would highly recommend this course to anyone in a leadership role who is interested in making a positive impact within their company and its success.”
Ethan Zabokrtsky, Supervisor, Field Design, Evergy
“I feel like this was the piece of the puzzle I was missing. I was a ‘different’ leader but was still missing/lacking in some areas. This was what I needed to be more effective with my team. I have been told by my direct reports that I am different from any other bosses they’ve had. I do believe one of my talents is leadership and CMD has taught me so much to improve that skill. Dr. Graham has been a mentor by providing so many of his experiences and I value everything I have learned. All of the instructors at CMD are leaders in their field. I would never have obtained the professional growth without these courses.”
Mina Miller, 1st Level Manager, Spirit Aerosystems
Substitutions are free and must be done prior to the start of the certificate program.
Cancellations or rescheduling must be received in writing and full refunds will be given up to four business days prior to the start of the certificate program.
Any cancellation or reschedule submitted with three or less business days notice is subject to a $75 charge on certificate programs.
No refunds after the first day of the program.
This program can be done onsite, at your organization, tailored to your specific needs.
Contact Denise Sherman 316-978-6152 denise.sherman@wichita.edu
or Paula Seiwert 316-978-5144 paula.seiwert@wichita.edu
and find out how convenient & economical training can be.