INTRODUCTION What's different about leading from the middle?

If you are a mid-to-senior level manager - a leader of managers - you lead in what CCL calls "the middle zone." You operate up and down the organizational hierarchy, as well as across functions and silos. To achieve results, you must effectively manage people and processes.

Managing from the middle zone is about connecting the strategy and the everyday work. It's a demanding role for you and an essential role for the organization.

The Leadership Development Program is designed to address the leadership tensions inherent in leading in the middle zone. LDP builds the skills and confidence you need to build commitment and translate strategy into effective action.

Who should attend?

LDP is for experienced managers who work in the "middle zone" of the organization. These managers are responsible for leading other managers and/or senior professional staff. They are operational, group or department managers who have several management-level direct reports and work with multiple peers, often across functions.

Outcomes

By applying the lessons of LDP, managers will be better equipped to handle the tensions and ever-shifting dynamics of leading in the middle zone. They will:

• Bridge the gap between senior management and the front line.
• Collaborate across the organization.
• Manage complexity.
• Leverage the experience gained from multiple life roles.
• Build resiliency for themselves and others.

How it Works

LDP participants will learn how to strengthen and refine their leadership fundamentals - communication, self-awareness, influence, and learning agility - as their roles become more complex and demanding. They will also focus on two essential competencies for managing the in the middle zone:

• Thinking and acting systemically — understanding the big picture, seeing patterns, dealing with trade-offs.
• Resiliency — effectively managing stress, uncertainty and setbacks.

The comprehensive assessments along with coaching and peer learning groups, ensure LDP participants have a powerful and personal experience that drives results. An organizational business simulation and a wide variety of experiential activities drive home key lessons, providing insight that can be readily applied back at work. And two, 45-minute coaching sessions by phone provide extra support and guidance in the weeks and months after the program.

The result? Leaders who are capable of bridging levels and functions in the organization, leading other managers, and turning strategy into action.

LDP Special Features

• Depth of assessment. A comprehensive picture of leadership skills, behaviors and preferences, including a close look at the 12 key competencies needed to succeed as a leader of managers.
• Peer learning groups. In-the-moment feedback from peers provides insight, suggestions and support.
• Practice and application. A business simulation and out-of-classroom experience provide tangible, practical lessons.
• Personal coaching. A half-day session plus two, 45-minute follow-up calls with a CCL coach.
• Global reach. LDP is offered more than 100 times a year in the Americas, EMEA and APAC.