Career Accelerator Program

Topics & Program Details

Program Objectives

• Prepare leaders for sustained success at higher levels of responsibility
• Develop critical business and leadership skills
• Aid the transition from individual contributors and supervisors to high performance leaders of teams

Achieved Through

• Practical and interactive learning experiences
• Awareness of cultural barriers and opportunities for advancement
• Networking with experienced senior managers

Session 1: Cultural Foundations with José Antonio Bowen

This session will help participants think about who they are, how they are perceived and provide tools to influence both their own thinking and thinking of others.

Session 2: Response to Change with Jerry Magar

This session will help participants learn how their own behavioral and communication styles correspond to others and how the management or alteration of those styles can significantly impact the overall success of groups and relationships.

Session 3: Brand and Networking with José Antonio Bowen

This session will help participants  practice meaningful conversations and discuss the reciprocal relationships which are the foundation of networks, social capital and leadership.

Session 4: Trust and Influence with Jerry Magar

During the session we will focus on leveraging trust and influence to get results.  You’ll develop skills to influence others, enhance your credibility, and manage difficult situations with bosses, peers and direct reports.  

Session 5: Trust and Influence: Difficult Conversations with Jerry Magar

This session will build on the concepts from the previous session.  It will apply the tools specifically to holding difficult conversations that build and restore trust while solving the challenge at hand.

Session 6: Transition to Management with José Antonio Bowen

During the session we will explore how teams work (or don’t work) and how motivation, incentives, trust and conflict interact.

Program Highlights

Executive Speakers and Advisors

Participants will learn and interact with world-renowned experts in leadership and business. Our executive advisors share practical insights, tools, and tips with participants in the classroom.

Who Should Attend?

Individual contributors or only front-line supervisors experience.

• Minimum years of experience: 5 years
• Minimum years of managerial experience: None
• Titles: Individual Contributor, Supervisor (Not yet a manager with a career path)
• Requirements:  Individual contributors or only front-line supervisors experience with 5 years of professional experience; Managerial experience not required; Ideal participants are individual contributors who have not been given a managerial opportunity or who have primarily front-line experience for more than 10 years 

Schedule

This four-month program is delivered in 6 sessions with three cohort options. Each phase focuses on a particular facet of career growth. The framework is shaped around key pivot points that all individuals will face as they grow their career. Some of those include: holding difficult conversations, transitioning to management, how to delegate, having appropriate responses to change, and so much more.

Session 1: Cultural Foundations
Session 2: Response to Change
Session 3: Brand and Networking
Session 4: Trust and Influence
Session 5: Difficult Conversations
Session 6: Transition to Management

*Virtual team project work and continuing education sessions follow the in-person module. For an entirely online-only option, contact the team at leadershiplab@smu.edu if interested in virtual dates.