Course list

VUCA is an acronym that stands for “volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.” Learn from General George W. Casey, Jr. how leaders understand and counteract the impacts of the VUCA world to lead more effectively today. In this course, you will gain insights into how you can identify and reduce the impact of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity in your workplace, elevating your opportunity to succeed. You will match your strengths and weaknesses with the leadership characteristics essential in today's VUCA world to formulate an action plan to guide you in improving your leadership skills. Finally, you will develop skills to improve your vision, courage, and character, ultimately preparing you to lead in a VUCA world.
Organizations that instill a clear vision and an effective business strategy at all levels are far more likely to succeed in our increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. But before you can effectively define and impart your vision and business strategy to your organization, you must analyze and have a comprehensive understanding of the various facets of your operating environment. In this course, you will explore effective ways to achieve these goals with General George W. Casey, Jr. You will objectively assess the three critical dimensions of your operating environment (internal, external, and competitive) using the VUCA index so you can identify potential vulnerabilities and opportunities for your organization. You will then identify the characteristics of an effective vision statement and outline a clear vision for your organization. Finally, you will outline a plan to instill your vision and business strategy in your organization.

Given the ever-increasing demands of the VUCA world in which we live and work today, agile leaders need effective ways of gaining commitment to their organization's vision and strategy. Even if a leadership team has an established vision and strategy, you still need buy-in at all levels of the organization. Led by General George W. Casey, Jr., this rigorous, outcomes-driven course will help you build a high-performing team that can consistently carry out the organization's vision and strategy.

In this course, you will evaluate and describe three ways to build commitment to your vision and strategy, and use those techniques to outline a plan that cultivates complete buy-in. You will create a plan that identifies specific ways to build your team's commitment to excellence. Finally, you will assess the inclusiveness of your organization's current environment and formulate a plan to both strengthen inclusion and drive excellence.

Success does not just happen. Successful leaders figure out what matters most to their success and go out and make it happen. This has never been an easy process, but in today's world it has become even more difficult: The volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environments that confront organizations today require a new breed of leaders. To lead and succeed in a VUCA world, leaders must now be adept at building consensus and influencing people who are outside their direct control but whose cooperation is essential to the success of their efforts.

In this course, you will develop a checklist to help you determine the most important elements required to execute your vision and strategy. You will establish a sphere of influence that can provide external support and determine the most important elements required to accomplish your vision and strategy. Finally, you will prepare for unexpected challenges.

In our VUCA world, it is easy to feel weighed down by daily issues. You can become so consumed by the difficulties of the present moment that you neglect to look ahead and analyze your larger mission. Yet as a leader, you have to be able to step back from the challenges that each day brings and assess the big picture. You have to help your people envision what the future looks like. Even the most skilled leaders agree that this is not easy. However, there are concrete measures you can take to prepare for future success.

In this course, you will learn how to develop a plan to evaluate your organization's ability to accomplish its vision and strategy. You will apply Lewin's three-stage model of change to enable your organization's continuous adaptation and devise a plan that demonstrates how you will sustain progress. Finally, you will apply the read, exercise, sleep, and think (REST) model to take care of yourself and remain effective as a leader.

Symposium sessions feature three days of live, highly interactive virtual Zoom sessions that will explore today’s most pressing topics. The Leadership Symposium offers you a unique opportunity to engage in real-time conversations with peers and experts from the Cornell community and beyond. Using the context of your own experiences, you will take part in reflections and small-group discussions to build on the skills and knowledge you have gained from your courses.

Join us for the next Symposium in which we’ll discuss the ways that leaders across industries have continued engaging their teams over the past two years while pivoting in strategic ways. You will support your coursework by applying your knowledge and experiences to relevant topics for leaders. Throughout this Symposium, you will examine different areas of leadership, including innovation, strategy, and engagement. By participating in relevant and engaging discussions, you will discover a variety of perspectives and build connections with your fellow participants from various industries.

Upcoming Symposium: February 11, 12 and 13, 2025 from 11am – 1pm ET

  • Tuesday, February 11, 2025 11am – 1pm ET
  • Wednesday, February 12, 2025 11am – 1pm ET
  • Thursday, February 13, 2025 11am – 1pm ET

          All sessions are held on Zoom.

          Future dates are subject to change. You may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete any certificate program. Once enrolled in your courses, you will receive information about upcoming events. Accessibility accommodations will be available upon request.

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