Leadership Course Listings
Courses for Public Service Professionals and Elected Officials
Advanced Leadership Corps
Principles and practice of exemplary public leadership for elected municipal and county officials. This course will enable you to become an extraordinary and inspiring leader in your community, region, and the state.
More InformationAdvanced Leadership Corps Ambassador Program
Each year those who have completed the Advanced Leadership Corps (ALC) are invited to an alumni program.
More InformationAdvanced Supervisory Practices
Advanced Supervisory Practices helps public professionals who have on-the-ground supervisory experience take their skills to the next level. Through this course, participants will learn how to effectively energize and engage their teams and exert positive influence with peers, managers, and direct reports
More InformationBasics of County Human Services
In partnership with the School of Government Faculty Members Aimee Wall, Jill Moore, and Mark Botts, the NCACC is offering the Basics of County Human Services.The Basics of County Human Services offers new commissioners their first step in a four-part continuum of critical topics to know and understand at an introductory level as they begin leading and governing. Faculty Leads: Aimee N. Wall, JD and Jill D. Moore, JD.
More InformationBudgeting and Finance Basics for Local Elected Officials
This half-day course is designed to go beyond the strategic aspects and delve into the areas that are often confusing for elected officials, such as availability of fund balance, revenue-neutral tax rates, statutory limitations on available reserve funds and contingencies, the role of capital reserve funds, and the other important aspects of the overall budgetary process. Faculty Lead: Greg S. Allison.
More InformationBuild an Equitable Organization: From Awareness to Action
This practical workshop will expand your equity consciousness as you move from increasing awareness to taking meaningful action in building a more equitable public sector organization.
More InformationBuild Coaching Skills to Tap Potential
A successful supervisor is one who can effectively coach and develop staff to take initiative, resolve conflict, develop productive working relationships, and reach their highest potential. While most supervisors can master the technical aspects of their job, the harder part is knowing how to help others develop and flourish, solve their own problems and have the tough conversations when things are not going well.
More InformationBuilding and Earning Trust
Trust is integral to developing high performing teams and personal well-being in the workplace. However, genuine trust can be challenging to build and easy to lose with colleagues, supervisors, and direct reports. How can managers and leaders in the public sector more effectively build and earn trust in their organizations? This practical workshop will enable participants to:
· Better understand the components of trust
· Recognize differences in how others bestow trust
· Strengthen strategies for earning and maintaining trust
· Repair broken trust
· Create environments that enable others to be more trustworthy
This practical workshop is applicable to all public professionals seeking to contribute to and lead more effective teams. Completion of the Fundamental Supervisory Practices course is recommended but not required for participation in this course.
More InformationBuilding Positive Leadership Strategies
One-day course offered at least once annually. Introduction to Appreciative Inquiry, how to notice and elicit a positive response in challenging or polarizing situations, includes practice and some one-on-one consultation, as requested. Target audience: Public Professionals. Check Course Calendar for dates and location. Faculty Leads: Lydian Altman; Margaret Henderson.
More InformationBuilding and Maintaining a Competitive Workforce
One-day course offered at least once annually. Course description forthcoming. Check Course Calendar for dates and location. Target audience: Public Professionals.
More InformationCapital Budgeting & Infrastructure for Elected Officials
This workshop will help you understand your leadership role in the capital budgeting process, translate complex financial terms into plain language, and provide you with the right questions to ask your manager and finance staff. The course will also help you see the value in strategic planning, consensus-building, and goal setting. Faculty Leads: Renee Paschal.
More InformationChief District Court Judges Leadership Training
Specialized training course offered each fall through the NC Judicial College. CJE credits awarded. Leadership topics vary each year, including communication, team building, case management, managing conflict, and others. Faculty Leads: Shea Denning, JD and Willow Jacobson, Ph.D.
More InformationCIVIC Fellows “Leading for Results”
Annual offering for local government professionals, two-week duration Location: Chapel Hill. Faculty Lead: Ricardo S. Morse. Applications open April.
More InformationCrisis Communication Skills for Local Elected Officials
In this on-line program, elected officials will learn how to communicate complex information to troubled and fearful citizens. You will learn how to balance facts with empathy and understanding, to convey stability in times that are troubled, and to engender your citizens’ trust that their best interests are being protected.
More InformationCultivate Engaging Workplace Culture
Shaping organizational culture and aligning it to your organizations’ strategy is a huge leadership challenge and an important leadership skill. This workshop will help you get clear about what needs changing and offers some key tools to begin to shape the culture of your organization.
More InformationEconomic Recovery and Resiliency Post COVID-19
In this webinar, participants will learn the most important guiding principles for stabilizing their community’s economy in the short term, and will consider what long-term economic recovery might look like in the coming years. The value of regional economic collaborations will be explored and successful examples from North Carolina and other states will be highlighted.
More InformationEffective Community Engagement: A Toolbox for Local Elected Officials
In this interactive webinar, you will learn that community engagement is a vital part of democracy. Your citizens judge the value of government based on what they see and experience; they learn how important government is when they have the opportunity to actually be a part of it.
More InformationElevate Organizational Performance
Local governments that focus on the fundamentals of leadership, strategic planning, performance improvement, and genuine engagement can knit together a high-performance framework to deliver positive, consistent results to elevate organizational performance and, ultimately, enhance the quality of life for the communities they serve.
More InformationEnergize and Engage Employees
Leaders are constantly searching for ways to improve employee engagement. There are studies that indicate that anywhere between 70 – 85% of the workforce is not engaged. If we are to believe those numbers, we need to know what employment engagement is and how we can get better at developing a culture of engagement with our teams. This interactive workshop will assist you in gaining that understanding and provide tools to assist you in that development.
More InformationEmotional Intelligence: Leadership’s Super Power
As part of this workshop, you will complete the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0, receive coaching about your results, and identify simple strategies you can begin using to increase your emotional intelligence. You will understand what emotional intelligence is and how it affects your daily work behaviors.
More InformationEssentials of Municipal Government (EMG)
Participants will gain a clear understanding of municipal government authority and explore the core functions of your municipality. Focus on the legal framework, operational structure, roles and responsibilities of municipal elected officials.
More InformationEssentials of County Government (ECG)
In this course, we will introduce newly-elected commissioners to the basic functions of county government and the role of the governing board. In short, we are here to help you successfully transition from campaigning to governing.
More InformationEthics for Local Government Elected Officials
These webinars satisfy the 2 clock hours of local ethics training required by state law for elected and appointed members of city councils and county boards of commissioners. This training MUST be completed within 12 months of election day and is required every time they are elected, re-elected or appointed and reappointed to a local office.
More InformationEvaluating Manager and Board Performance
Participants who complete this program will learn how to develop a successful board self-assessment and manager evaluation process, customize an evaluation process that works for their jurisdiction, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
More InformationFacilitation Skills for Successful Meetings
This course will give you tools for planning and guiding meetings so that everyone contributes, and ideas are turned into clear agreements. Contribute to the success of your organization by creating a workplace environment that leverages the power of the group while driving toward a common goal.
More InformationFinancial and Fiduciary Responsibilities of Local Elected Officials
This workshop will focus on understanding and responding to the annual audit, maintaining adequate oversight of fund balance including its limitations and flexibility, and knowing the significance of the various communications and reporting requirements of the Local Government Commission.
More InformationFundamental Supervisory Practices (FSP)
Being a supervisor in local government today is more challenging than ever. The Fundamental Supervisory Practices course is designed to provide newly promoted or first-time supervisors with critical knowledge and skills needed to be an effective supervisor.
More InformationJudicial District Executive Seminar
Offered annually through the NC Judicial College. Understanding personal leadership style, demands and stresses on court system, future trends, and shared decision-making. Attendees: Judicial district teams to include minimum of Senior Resident Superior Court Judge, Chief District Court Judge, and Clerk of Court; others may include District Attorney, Trial Court Administrator, and key others. Lead Faculty: Jim Drennan, JD and Willow Jacobson, Ph.D.
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Lead Across Boundaries
This workshop explores the core competencies of this boundary-crossing leadership, including the mindset necessary to successfully work through inevitable conflict in order to accomplish collective goals. Participants will have the opportunity to connect skills and concepts to a boundary-crossing issue they are dealing with in their communities.
More InformationLead Change in Government Organizations
In this workshop, you will learn what gets in the way of change and practice skills that will enable and improve the chances that luck will make a helpful visit! Understand the context of change in the public sector; explore challenges of leading change and models of change management, integrate concepts into your specific change effort.
More InformationLeading and Managing with Respect
Building and sustaining mutual respect is a hallmark of an influential and effective leader. How can public professionals feel and convey genuine respect for their colleagues, supervisors, and direct reports – especially in the face of contentious disagreements or poor past performance? Do you have to agree with someone’s viewpoint in order to show them respect? How can leaders simultaneously show respect and hold folks accountable?
Leaders will explore useful tools, practice specific skills, and learn to navigate the often-contradictory demands of leading with respect.
Participants will:
· Explore the meaning and layers of respect
· Recognize the power that derives from conveying genuine respect for others
· Practice communicating respect across differences
· Strengthen unique strategies for exacting respectful treatment from others
· Develop tools for building team psychological safety
More InformationLeading with Respect for Local Elected Officials
Building and sustaining mutual respect is a hallmark of an influential leader and a fundamental tool to help you serve and support your community. How can elected officials feel and convey genuine respect for their fellow board members, staff, and citizens – especially in the face of contentious public issues or profound ideological differences? Do you have to agree with someone’s viewpoint in order to show them respect? Is respectful disagreement possible? How do we get there?
This practical workshop will help elected officials learn to navigate the rich terrain of differing opinions to build productive relationships with others on their boards and in their communities. Participants will:
· Explore the meaning and layers of respect
· Recognize the power that derives from conveying genuine respect for others
· Practice communicating respect across differences
· Strengthen unique strategies for exacting respectful treatment from others.
This workshop is designed for any local elected official seeking to expand their leadership skills and sphere of influence in their community. Leaders will explore useful tools, practice specific skills, and learn to navigate the often-contradictory demands of leading with respect.
This is a 201 level course in the Local Elected Leaders Academy. Elected official participants will earn 6 recognition credits towards their Master certification.
More InformationLegal Competency for Local Elected Officials
A day long live, interactive course via zoom – Being effective as a local elected official means understanding your local authority, being fluent in meeting procedures, and knowing the scope of your transparency obligations. The laws are complex, and many situations raise questions that are unique to each set of circumstances. These complexities are often heightened by the vast array of social media platforms, which call into question the boundaries of free speech and the public’s right to know.
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LELA 101: Top 10 Primer on Employment Law for Local Elected Officials
In this class, you will gain a basic understanding of the employment laws that apply to local governments. You will become more conversant with the employment issues that affect our local government workforce and explore the role of the elected body in assuring that the laws are being followed.
More InformationLELA 101: Top 10 Primer on Managing Conflict: Tips and Practices Round Table
This is a highly interactive and quick-moving on-line class. John Stephens will present brief tips and practical tools for dealing with conflicts in the moment.
More InformationLELA 201: From Pandemic to Protests: Crisis Communications Skills for Local Elected Officials
In this on-line program, elected officials will learn how to communicate complex information to troubled and fearful citizens. You will learn how to balance facts with empathy and understanding, to convey stability in times that are troubled, and to engender your citizens’ trust that their best interests are being protected. The class features a combination of interactive lecture and simulations that relate to how public officials should deal with the media and communicate with the public, especially in times of crisis.
More InformationLELA 201: Heritage or Hate: Reframing the Issues
This class provides a framework for hearing claims from diverse political perspectives and creating productive conversations about the critical policy issues that matter to North Carolina’s communities. You will learn how to think about the points of difference and shared values between North Carolinians on opposing sides of the divisive issues around our shared history.
More InformationLELA 201: Tools for Persuasive Speaking
In this workshop, you will learn tips and tools to help you convince others to follow where you lead. You will learn how to match your message to your audience and craft persuasive arguments that support your views. The class includes small group practice sessions with communications coaches to help you evaluate and refine your presentation skills.
More InformationLELA 201: Top 10 Primer on Land Use, Planning, and Zoning for Elected Officials
In this short interactive class you will learn the ten most important things to know about your role as an elected official in land use planning and zoning.
More InformationLELA 201: Top 10 Primer: Seeking Diversity: How Do We Do It Today?
In this short course local elected officials map their daily interactions with others and learn how to broaden their nets of input into public issues.
More InformationLELA 201: Top 10 Primer on Transportation Planning in North Carolina
Participants will learn about the Department of Transportation structure, funding, and planning processes. This quick-moving interactive free virtual workshop will provide our audience a basic understanding of the policies that affect statewide transportation priorities and the avenues for making your voices heard.
More InformationLELA 201 Top 10 Primer: What Local Elected Officials Should Know About Enterprise Funding
Experts from the Environmental Finance Center at the School of Government, Erin Riggs and Elsemarie Mullins, will provide a concise overview of 10 key factors relating to enterprise budgeting and funding that local elected officials need to know.
More InformationMake the Right Hire
The cost of hiring and training new employees impacts local government budgets and services, and the wrong hire or promotion can lower the morale and productivity of an entire workgroup or organization. This course is designed to help you make the right hire the first time around. You will learn how to navigate the various legal issues around recruitment and selection and the keys to designing a defensible selection process that measures the key competencies required for the job.
More InformationMaking Change: How Personal Preference Show Up at Work
No matter how you or your work group typically manages change, you have probably been challenged by navigating these uncertain times. The intent of this session is to identify your natural tendencies, consider how that serves you during “normal” times, share your successful strategies, then assess what you might need to adapt successfully through the next phase of the pandemic and its economic impact. Includes Change Style Indicator Assessment.
More InformationManage Your Teams
Participants will learn the specific challenges of managing remotely in the current environment as well as specific tips and tools to better enhance group cohesion and gain insights on how to maintain organizational culture.
More InformationManaging Conflict: Strategies for Elected Officials
This course focuses on two parts of negotiation and problem solving: how personality types affect conflict development and resolution and understanding and applying principles of interest-based negotiation to create win-win solutions. Faculty Lead: John B. Stephens, Ph.D. Location: Chapel Hill.
More InformationNavigate Difficult Conversations
Navigating difficult conversations is a core leadership skill. This one-day course will help you find the opportunities for personal and professional growth presented by conflict.
More InformationPublic Executive Leadership Academy (PELA)
PELA provides city and county managers, their assistants, and key department heads the opportunity to learn more about themselves as leaders and to gain skills to lead and manage change in their communities.
More InformationRace Matters: Courageous Conversations for Leaders
In this workshop, we will define diversity and related terminology such as inclusion, equity, and belonging. We will discuss how having a diverse team leads to increased effectiveness and performance and the factors or conditions that lead to an increase in effectiveness and performance on diverse teams, which requires trust.
More InformationShift from Buddy to Boss
This interactive course is designed to get your journey into supervision on the right path and will include case studies and skill practice scenarios around the challenges that new supervisors often face.
More InformationSocial Media for Social Good
Understand the elements of effective social media policies; develop strategies for organizational use of social media; increase reach and engagement through the use of social media.
More InformationSocial Media Strategies and Best Practices
This on-line class will familiarize you with the variety of different social media platforms and users. You will learn how to use various strategic tools to create an engaging social media presence. And you’ll discover some surprisingly positive uses of social media that can help you go beyond campaigning to governing!
More InformationStrategic Planning: Linking Strategies to Results
In this class you will learn the principles and processes involved in strategic planning. You will learn how to use your local government budget as a planning tool to execute your vision over a multi-year period, and you will explore the leadership behaviors that are important elements of success.
More InformationTop 10 Primer: Financial Responsibilities of Local Elected Officials
In this workshop, elected officials will learn about the Local Government Fiscal Control Act, which establishes in law the budget development timeline. You will learn the basic outlines of Fund Balance and Financial Reporting and those additional critical elements of local government budgeting that make up the top ten most important factors to know and understand as you enter the fiscal year budget development season.
More InformationTop 10 Primer on Capital Budgeting for Local Elected Officials
This seminar introduces elected officials to the rationale, scope, policy, and process of capital budgeting in local government, including the role of the capital improvement program. It then provides an overview of how local governments pay for capital assets through pay-as-you-go and debt financing before concluding with the relationship between capital budgeting and economic development.
More InformationTop 10 Primer: What Local Elected Officials Need to Know About Public Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services in North Carolina
An important role for local elected officials is to simply know enough about how the publicly funded system is structured to be able to respond when someone asks you for help. You want to know how your town or county agencies can and do often affect outcomes for people with mental health needs.
More InformationTop 10 Primer: What Local Elected Officials Need to Know about Public Health and Social Services
Being an effective local elected official requires a basic understanding of what your local government agencies do. The public health and social services agencies are two public agencies that are touch points for many of the people in your communities.
More InformationTop 10 Primer: Use of Social Media for Local Elected Officials
Do Facebook and Twitter have appropriate places in the world of local elected officials? The rules and practicalities of social media use for local elected officials can be confusing and confounding. In this 75-minute class you’ll learn about some good and bad practices we can help you manage, and improve your awareness of some of the murky areas around free speech and consequences that we are monitoring.
More InformationWorking Better Together: Governing Guidance
An effective Council or Board is one that intentionally cultivates it. All the best laid plans and community expectations can be destroyed by a dysfunctional governing Board. In this course local elected officials will learn how being a leader also entails being a team member.
More InformationWork with Citizen Boards and Committees
Explores promising practices for using citizen advisory boards and committees: clarifying roles and expectations, recruitment, appointment, and training; evaluating effectiveness.
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