How good leaders use self-development to grow — and how you can get started at K-State Olathe

A good leader uses all of the tools in their professional toolbox to create an environment where employees thrive and grow, but even experienced managers need ongoing training and guidance to find ways to support and encourage their team. 

Suzanne Frawley, president of Team Tango Consulting, believes that strong leaders never stop learning and developing those core leadership abilities. “If you have good, foundational leadership skills, you can increase productivity and effectiveness of both the manager and the employee," said Frawley. “It’s also an attraction tool to those coming into the organization” (New Management Development: Building a Fountain For the Future, 2023). 

Beginning in January 2024, K-State Olathe is meeting the needs of professionals in the Greater Kansas City area by presenting Management Strategies: Pathways to Leadership. This six-workshop series has two sessions that focus on self-development and which in-depth skills leaders need to develop in order to provide the guidance their teams need to be successful. 

Using Strengths and Emotional Intelligence to Maximize Individual and Team Performance 

The first self-development workshop will focus on ways that highly successful supervisors and managers capitalize on personal strengths and exhibit high emotional intelligence in the workplace.  

This interactive workshop will help emerging and current leaders from any profession understand how strengths and emotional intelligence impact individual and team performance. More importantly, participants will learn how to leverage personal and team strengths in meaningful ways. 

Each participant will walk away with the ability to: 

• Identify and understand how to capitalize on personal strengths in leadership roles
• Understand how to use strengths to build and lead effective teams
• Discover the importance of personal emotional intelligence in leadership
• Identify specific ways to improve emotional intelligence

According to Forbes, many professionals are put into positions of management because they’re effective and efficient in their roles, yet they may struggle to provide coaching and guidance to their team. Seeking professional development is essential for anyone in a leadership role who wants to discover the best ways to guide and care for a team. 

Critical Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills 

Another self-development workshop in the series, this Management Strategies workshop also is designed to guide leaders through the process of developing their communication abilities so they can better support their teams. Whether you’re been working with your team for years or you’re new to your current group, it’s imperative to develop the skills you need to communicate effectively with your team. 

While no one enjoys navigating conflict, every good leader will face challenges in the world of communication at some point. Exceptional leaders know how to listen well and handle difficult conversations with grace and dignity.  

In this interactive workshop, experiential activities and real-life scenarios will help emerging and current leaders and managers from any profession become more mindful listeners and learn techniques and methods that will help them handle difficult conversation and conflict more effectively. 

This particular workshop also will enable participants to identify their personal listening style and identify their leadership habits. Attendees will have the opportunity to consider and discover how these patterns of behavior can impact their performance, as well as provide guidance for enhancing active listening skills. 

Continuing Your Leadership Journey 

Good leaders understand that it takes time, dedication and determination to develop their leadership abilities so they can guide their team. Great leaders are willing to put in the work to make that happen. 

At Management Strategies: Pathways to Leadership, each attendee will walk away with the ability to navigate difficult, complicated conversations with their team and to practice these techniques and skills in a safe environment regardless of where they are on their leadership journey.