Academic Leadership Academy

ULead: The Academy

Program Description

The Academic Leadership Academy program: ULead the Academy is an evidence-based leadership development program designed to be a social learning space (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2020), where participants learn to improve their leadership practice together as a community of colleagues interested in strengthening their capacity to positively develop the people and performances of those they lead (Barling, 2014).

ULead the Academy is a seven-module course founded on the principles of effective leadership development (Day, 2000), deliberate practice (Ericsson & Harwell, 2019) and critical reflection (Moon, 2004). Each module is a three hour in-person session. Through engaging with course content, colleagues, and experiential learning (Kolb, 2014).

During ULead: The Academy, participants will:

  • Become familiar with, discuss, and personalize evidence-informed leadership behaviours Deliberately practice and debrief specific leadership skills in their real-world context 
  • Strengthen their awareness of personal leadership values, identity, and purpose. 
  • Practice peer mentoring through supporting program peers in their own leadership development.
  • Strengthen their capacity to positively develop the people and performances of those they lead. 

Thank you for your interest in ULead: The Academy. Due to high demand this program is currently fully enrolled. 

We invite you to explore the other offerings available through the Academic Leadership Academy:

To assist you in preparing your registration, please see the below copy of the registration questions. 

ULead the Academy Survey Questions

Program Design

Each session includes: Small group learning activities, personal reflection, mini-lectures, and collegial discussions. Participants also spend time developing specific plans for their deliberate skill practice in their unique leadership context, debrief how things went, integrate multiple perspectives on their practice, and iteratively develop their leadership effectiveness across the seven modules. 

Schedule: Module 1 - 4

  • Module 1: Dec 11, 2024 | 9am – 12pm
  • Module 2: Jan 22, 2025 | 9am – 12pm
  • Module 3: Feb 26, 2024 | 9am – 12pm
  • Module 4: Mar 19, 2024 | 9am – 12pm

 

Schedule: Module 5 - 7

  • Module 5: Apr 23, 2025 | 9am – 12pm
  • Module 6: May 28, 2025 | 9am – 12pm
  • Module 7: Jun 18, 2025 | 9am – 12pm

Program Overview

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 (9:00am – 12:00pm)

During this module we will get to know a bit about each other and ourselves in relation to the framework which guides ULead Academy through reflecting on our values, identity, and purpose as leaders. We will become familiar with the elements of deliberate practice, deep listening, and clear communication. We will make plans for our first real-world deliberate leadership skill practice.

During this module, participants will:

  • Begin articulating their leadership values, identity, and purpose
  • Describe and begin personalizing full range and transformational leadership behaviours (Barling, 2014)
  • Comprehend and plan to deliberately practice deep listening 
  • Comprehend and plan to deliberation practice clear communication
  • Initiate connections with colleagues in the program

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 (9:00am – 12:00pm)

We will debrief and reflect on our real-world deliberate practice, finish our introduction to the leadership framework which guides ULead the Academy, and contrast our skills with this framework. We will reflect on and build our working knowledge of developing rapport, defining roles, and relevant recognition at work. We will work through examples of where and when we could practice these skills and intentionally plan for this module’s deliberate practice.

By the end of this module, participants will be able to:

  • Critically reflect on their deliberate practice and establish a next best step
  • Compare and contrast their real-world practice with our leadership framework
  • Discuss, reflect on, and establish goals for building rapport and trust with those we lead
  • Comprehend and plan to deliberately practice this module’s leadership skills
  • Continue developing connections and learn with colleagues in the program

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 (9:00am – 12:00pm)

We will debrief and discuss how things went in our deliberate practice, reflect on conflict and ways we have managed it in the past, and consider our options for managing conflict. We will work through possible strategies for initiating difficult conversations and plan a specific way forward for managing conflict in our unique leadership contexts. 

During this module, participants will:

  • Critically reflect on their deliberate practice and establish a next best step
  • Compare and contrast their experiences leading with our leadership framework
  • Discuss, reflect on, and establish goals for managing conflict
  • Comprehend and plan to deliberately practice an option and strategy from this module
  • Continue to build collegial connects within their cohort

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 (9:00am – 12:00pm)

We will debrief how our deliberate practice went. We will think creatively together about feedback and its role in developing the people we lead.  Through actively exploring developmental conversations we will make connections to supervising students and our leadership framework. 

During this module, participants will:

  • Critically reflect on their most recent deliberate practice and establish a next best step for practicing it
  • Consider coaching opportunities in our unique leadership context
  • Discuss, identify, and establish goals for an upcoming developmental conversation
  • Deepen connections and learn with colleagues in the program

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 (9:00am – 12:00pm)

In this ULead the Academy module we will connect developmental conversations to leading a group – and specifically chairing an effective meeting. Through comparing lived experiences with promising facilitation practices, we will develop our understanding of the leadership skills which underpin effective meetings. 

During this module, participants will:

  • Debrief their deliberate practice from the previous module and intentionally plan for improving this leadership skill
  • Discuss and detail (in)effective meeting experiences 
  • Comprehend and practice effective meeting facilitation during this module
  • Debrief in-module practice
  • Carefully develop a strategy and plan for an upcoming meeting they will lead
  • Document their deliberate practice plan and vet their plan with colleagues in the cohort

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 (9:00am – 12:00pm)

We will spend time learning about and considering the concept of psychological safety in our social learning space, debrief last month’s deliberate practice, and draft plans for applying two leadership strategies (learned in this session) in our professional contexts.

During this module, participants will be able to:

  • Critically reflect on their meeting facilitation plan and real-world execution
  • Actively make sense of the differences between a psychologically safe and dysfunctional team or small group in their unique context
  • Discuss, reflect on, and establish goals for enabling psychological safety in a group
  • Deepen connections and learn with colleagues in the program

Wednesday, June 18, 2025 (9:00am – 12:00pm)

In addition to consolidating the ULead course experience, participants will reflect on, discuss, and make personal plans for being well. The experiential and social learning we did together in the cohort will be celebrated! We will look back and look forward to next best steps for our collective and individual leadership growth and development. 

During this session, participants will:

  • Brainstorm and discuss practices which positively influence their holistic wellness
  • Make connections between core values and wellness
  • Review and reflect on the leadership skills and behaviours we have explored and practiced
  • Solidify ways to stay connected with each other and the leaders we are becoming