ULead
UCalgary’s leadership development program that offers cohort learning experiences and skill-specific leadership workshops
If you’re in the position of leading and inspiring others, explore these leadership development programs and resources to fine-tune your skills, develop your confidence and deepen your knowledge. From manager toolkits to cohort-based learning, we’ve got you covered.
Highly practical leadership training based in the UCalgary context that emphasizes hands-on learning with peers.
ULead Cohort Participant
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Program Summary
ULead: Engagement is a cohort-based program designed for UCalgary’s MaPS people leaders seeking to increase employee engagement. Employee engagement is the emotional commitment and connection employees have with their work, colleagues, and the organization. Ultimately, a positive engaging employee experience promotes wellbeing and performance.
This program aims to build the leadership skills that support positive engagement, equipping leaders with the values, skills, and practices that create that commitment and connection that will drive their teams. Through reflection, pre-work, goal setting, discussion, and intentional practice, groups of up to 25 leaders will explore perspectives and values critical to UCalgary’s strategic vision and core commitments. The goals of this program are to:
- Build a supportive community of like-minded leaders across campus.
- Explore leadership mindsets, skills, and practices to increase the inclusion, engagement, and performance of your team.
- Receive support to integrate your learning into your leadership practice and create meaningful progress.
Participants will share wisdom, learn from others, and build a strong network of leaders across campus.
ULead: Engagement is a cohort-based program best suited for MaPS leaders who manage direct reports.
ULead is suited for leaders and managers with a focus on leading teams and process management
Important Dates
Cohort Sessions
October 2024-April 2025
Approximately every third Thursday of the month
Cohort 1: 9am-12pm for all sessions except October 16th which will be 9am-4pm
Cohort 2: 1pm-4pm for all sessions except October 17th which will be 9am-4pm
Sessions all take place in-person.
- Your Why: Clarity, Presence, and Impact through Purpose
- Your Values: The Path to Trust and Resilience
- Increasing Self-Awareness, Psychological Safety, and Inclusion
- Emotional Intelligence and Emotional-Regulation
- Identifying your leadership learning goals
- Core Coaching Skills: Curiosity, Deep Listening and Powerful Questions
- The GROW Coaching Model
- Peer coaching practice in trios (leveraged throughout the program)
- Empowerment, Accountability and Engagement
- The Performance Cycle: Expectations, Staying Connected, Feedback
- Creating Clarity through times of Disruption and Change
- Supporting and Directing: Matching your leadership to the needs of your team
- Building engagement through career conversations
- Creating a culture of feedback
- Providing feedback in sticky situations
- What is really going on? Curiosity, empathy, and the power of assumptions
- Preparing for and conducting challenging conversations
- Investing in and repairing relationships
- Investing in positive team relationships
- Communicating through challenge and change
- Facilitating team conversations
- Review, reflect, and revisit
- Influencing positive change
- Charting your next steps
Frequently Asked Questions
Approximately 35-40 hours over 8 months, which includes participation in 1 full day session and 6 day half sessions, peer coaching, pre-work and post-session activities. How much extra work and practice will vary from participant to participant based on their needs.
We strive for a diverse cohort of leaders from various units across campus, and with various levels of leadership experience first and foremost. We believe this diversity will enhance the overall learning experience for all participants. An openness to learning from each other (regardless of leadership experience), and cross-mentoring, is highly encouraged.
Selection does not take place on a first come, first serve basis. Instead, cohort formation is curated to promote a diversity of learners within the program.
Maximum 25 participants per cohort.
It is possible that there is more interest than there are spots. We will keep your registration and details so we can let you know about upcoming cohorts. In addition to participation in future cohorts, we have other leadership development opportunities offered through ULead, such as the Leadership in Focus sessions. Please check this webpage again for updates.
Cohort 3 will run in Winter 2025 on a biweekly basis, and cohort 4 will be offered in a condensed one week offering in Spring 2025 - specific dates are still to be determined. Once dates are confirmed, this webpage will be updated. Please check back periodically.
Yes, you can still apply via the survey. Please note that priority will be given to participants who are able to attend all 7 sessions.
Yes. This program is newly designed and the content included in this program, and its execution, is completely different from the ULead program in the past. If there are many leaders from the same unit/faculty applying, we will prioritize the leader who has not yet participated in ULead.
Although it is not required as part of our application process, we would encourage you to connect with your leader to inform them of your interest and time commitment to the program.
All Management and Professional Staff (MaPS) with direct reports who are willing to invest the time and effort to develop their own leadership practice.
Between August 27th – September 27th is when you can apply. We encourage you to apply as soon as you are able.
An important component of this program is supporting leaders with their daily practice. For this reason, application is limited to those with current direct reports. This program focuses on skills that can be implemented right away with their teams.
At this time, there are no virtual cohort offerings.
This cohort program is tailored for people leaders with direct reports. While we recognize that you may have some leadership responsibilities, or are interested in growing into a formal leadership role, this program calls for immediate application and practice within teams. We are currently developing new workshops that will be more geared towards emerging leaders, and those who also have the desire to move into management in the future. Please visit our UGrow program offerings, which is open to all employees to participate in, by clicking here.
Program Summary
Leadership in Focus is our suite of sessions, courses, and resources focusing on developing specific leadership skills and process management. Available to all leaders in both asynchronous and synchronous formats, each offering will help you to develop the relevant skills or knowledge needed for your leadership or management role.
Leadership in Focus is best suited for MaPS and Academic leaders.
Leadership Skill Development Courses
This session takes on a human-centric approach to change management, focusing on the key role that leaders play in guiding their teams through transitions. Leaders will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of change, the psychology behind what makes it so difficult, and how to navigate through change effectively.
Intended Audience: UCalgary Leaders
Delivery Mode: In-Person Synchronous
Time Commitment: 3 hours
This course provides information and resources to help managers in their role at the University of Calgary. After completing this course, you will be able to: describe your role and accountabilities as a people manager at the University of Calgary and access additional resources to further assist you in your learning and support you in your role.
Intended Audience: UCalgary Leaders
Delivery Mode: Online Asynchronous
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
As a leader, giving feedback can be both productive and challenging. Sometimes, those conversations don't always go as we anticipated. This course is designed specifically for leaders seeking to enhance their feedback effectiveness and delivery. Facilitated by the Organizational Development Team, this course will provide practical tools and approaches to delivering feedback with psychological safety, team dynamics and emotional regulation in mind. The purpose is to increase your comfort and competency in giving and delivering feedback so you can leverage feedback opportunities to strengthen relationships and optimize your team's performance.
Intended audience: UCalgary Leaders
Delivery Mode: In-person or Virtual Synchronous
Time Commitment: 3 hours
Respectful conduct is a critical component of developing a healthy, energetic and productive campus community. This workshop is tailored for people leaders striving to foster a culture of respect within their teams.
Intended Audience: UCalgary Leaders
Delivery Mode: In-Person Synchronous
Time Commitment: 3 hours
As the University of Calgary continues to focus on a healthy campus and workplace, this workshop aims to increase awareness of mental health, reduce the stigma of mental illness and offer resources to maintain positive mental health. In this course, we will explore mental health, the stigmas associated with it and create strategies to reduce its impact. We will gain an understanding of the manager's role and accountabilities in dealing with workplace mental issues, how and when to accommodate, and how to balance the needs of the employee with those of the organization.
Intended Audience: UCalgary Leaders
Delivery Mode: In-person or Virtual Synchronous
Time Commitment: 2 sessions (3 hours and 4 hours)
More details on this course will be available shortly.
Process Management Courses and Resources
This session is co-facilitated by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resources. This workshops provides academic selection committees with an overview of equitable and inclusive hiring, how to apply an EDI lens through the recruitment and selection process, implicit bias, and tools to mitigate bias. All members of academic selection committees shall be required to participate in this session at least once every two years.
Intended audience: All UCalgary Employees
Delivery Mode: Virtual Synchronous
Time Commitment: 1.5 hours
Presented by the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Human Resources. Equitable and Inclusive Hiring Practices for Managers is a workshop that introduces equity and inclusion as a measure to integrate equity consideration into the processes and practice of hiring non-academic administrative and professional staff. The workshop presents concepts and principles of equity and inclusion and examines the application of an equity lens in the hiring process and practices. This workshop is an opportunity for managers for non-academic administrative and professional staff in faculties, units, departments, and anyone interested in learning more about equitable and inclusive hiring practices to gain some foundational ideas about what it means when we talk about equity and inclusion in hiring processes for administrative and professional staff at the University and learn how to incorporate them into existing practices and processes. This interactive workshop will challenge and engage participants in thinking critically about barriers to equitable and inclusive hiring while examining and applying managers' and hiring committees¿ role in creating an inclusive environment.
Intended audience: All UCalgary Employees
Delivery Mode: Virtual Synchronous
Time Commitment: 2 hours
This online micro-learning module introduces employees to the importance of timely terminations and processing voluntary departures at the University of Calgary.
Intended audience: UCalgary Leaders and designated administrators
Delivery Mode: Asynchronous
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
More details on this resource will be available shortly.
This e-learning module is designed to help Managers to:
- Build a general understanding of the University of Calgary's labour relations framework
- Work within the collective agreements
- Effectively address issues in the workplace through problem-solving and the corrective action process
Intended audience: UCalgary leaders with AUPE reports
Delivery Mode: Asynchronous
Time Commitment: 1.5 hours
Summary
In the spirit of continuous improvement, we are constantly developing new workshops, course offerings, and resources relevant for UCalgary leaders. To be informed directly about ULead's new offerings, you are invited to sign up for our mailing list. You can expect to receive notifications such as when new sessions or asynchronous modules are available, when there are still spaces available for particular workshops, and suggestions of courses that may be valuable for you to participate in.
Sign up for the ULead mailing list by Clicking Here
Additional Information
Frequently Asked Questions
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Reference Guide
Learn more about how to enroll in classes and track your learning through the Enterprise Learning Management (ELM) System.
Academic Leadership Academy
Leadership development for UCalgary academic leaders.