Empowering professionals to handle tough leadership challenges

In May 2024, we welcomed 10 participants in the annual Leadership, Ethics, Executive Decision-Making (LEED): Executive Leadership Program, a weeklong, in-person initiative designed to elevate essential leadership skills. Created in partnership between the Leeds School of Business and the Center for Leadership at the University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder, the program brings together mid-career and senior professionals looking to gain new perspectives, learn from other leaders, manage uncertainty, navigate change and encourage collaboration.

“Multiple classes pushed me out of my comfort zone (in a positive way), which will have a fundamental impact on the way I lead." - Grant Wilson, area manager at Archrock

Each day of the program featured two modules on core functions of leadership and communication, facilitated by Leeds and the Center for Leadership faculty. Throughout the week, participants explored such themes as crisis management, ethical leadership and emotional intelligence. Faculty led discussions in a Socratic method, guiding conversations while encouraging participants to share ideas and perspectives. The small, intimate group settings fostered deep discussions and built trust, creating a psychologically safe environment for participants to be their authentic selves. 

“I took concrete actions away from these classes that I can use daily in my leadership role,” said Grant Wilson, area manager at Archrock. “Multiple classes pushed me out of my comfort zone (in a positive way), which will have a fundamental impact on the way I lead.”

Participants in this year’s LEED: Executive Leadership Program came from across ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ including the western slope, and from a variety of industries, including technology and health care. Four Leeds staff members were awarded full scholarships funded by the Leeds dean’s cabinet to attend the program. “This is such a wonderful opportunity, and I am so thankful for the school’s continuous support to help me grow and be the best leader I can be for my team,” said Camille Colquitt, faculty services support manager.

“This course was extremely [well] put together and provided me with an exceptional amount of information I will be able to use in my professional and personal development,” said Jessica Menu, director of the emergency department at Grand River Hospital District. “The instructors were very passionate about each topic, which allowed me to remain engaged. I feel this course has changed me as a person and leader.”

The program concluded with coaching sessions that addressed key problem statements provided by participants, such as managing up, managing down, integrating inherited teams and addressing peer conflicts. Leeds faculty members Salma Shukri, Joshua Nunziato and Tony Kong coached small groups helping participants identify practical, real-world solutions.

The LEED: Executive Leadership program is set to return for open enrollment in May 2025. Leeds also offers custom programs in executive leadership. Learn how Leeds incorporated executive leadership into training with the Graduate School of Banking and contact us on exploring a custom program that is right for your organization.

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Four high-performing staff members receive full scholarships into executive leadership program.

Nurturing leadership is a skill that requires investment and commitment starting from the top. One of Dean Khatri’s top priorities is investing in professional development for staff members at the Leeds School of Business. Developing talent from within is important in the commitment to professional development. To further that goal, Leeds offered four full scholarships for Leeds staff members to participate in the LEED (Leadership, Ethics, Executive Decision-making): Executive Leadership Program.

The LEED: Executive Leadership Program, developed in collaboration the University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ’s Center for Leadership equips participants with essential leadership skills. This week-long leadership intensive features modules on different leadership topics from faculty members from Leeds. The curriculum offers a blend of theoretical insights and practical application built around experiential learning and immersive experiences. The holistic learning experience gives time for participants to reflect on learnings and navigate ethical dilemmas toward the progress of unlocking their leadership potential.

“Dean Khatri is invested in our staff’s professional development and asked us to think creatively when considering potential opportunities for high-performing staff,” said Stephanie Gillin, associate dean of administration and finance at Leeds. “Past program participants have been so thrilled with their experiences, we wanted to provide the opportunity for more of our staff to participate in the LEED: Executive Leadership Program.”

Camille Colquitt
Faculty Support Services Manager

Neeha Patel
Business Analyst and Reporting Specialist

Angie Vermillion
Assistant Director, Employer Relations

Julie Waggoner
Director of Operations, CESR

The scholarships, each valued at $5,000, is more than just a financial benefit, but a symbol of the investment in human capital. The scholarships are reserved for high-performing staff members with unwavering dedication to both personal growth and the advancement of Leeds’ mission. These scholarships serve as a recognition of excellence and dedication to continued achievement.

“I am so grateful to be able to join the cohort this year,” said Camille Colquitt, faculty support services manager and one of the four scholarship recipients. “This is such a wonderful opportunity, and I am so thankful for the school’s continuous support to help me grow and be the best leader I can be for my team.”

To be eligible, candidates had to meet a stringent criterion, including a demonstrable track record of excellence, high-performance evaluations, active involvement in professional development and supervisor endorsement. Staff had to apply with a one-page essay on their aspirations and how the program aligns with their professional goals and how the Leeds’ values have underpinned their success at Leeds. Scholarship recipients were chosen by members of the Leeds cabinet.

The LEED: Executive Leadership Program takes place on the Boulder, CO campus May 13-17. 

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Leadership coaching aimed at empathy, transparency and steady vision can help executives build crisis communications confidence.

Key factors to effectively lead through crisis

Cunningham notes a few key traits leaders should exhibit in times of crisis:

• Transparency
  
Stakeholders have the right to information and explanation about what leaders do and don’t know about an ongoing situation.


• Empathy
  Unfortunately, empathy tends to take a back seat during stressful times. There is a big need to bring in empathy and connect emotionally and elevate the human connection with other stakeholders. Empathy can show up in a lot of ways. Simple messages such as “I am scared too” can go a long way toward acknowledging the stress and anxiety people may feel.


• Clarity
  Sometimes leaders feel responsible and need to answer questions. This leads to guesses and assumptions that don’t benefit anyone. Saying “I don’t know” increases credibility as opposed to lying. Minimizing or shifting blame is never the right way to handle a crisis situation.   


• Frequency
  In a crisis, there is a “golden hour” within the first hour of a crisis where there needs to be an expectation to provide information to help navigate all the uncertainty. With changes in technologies, rapid response is expected to control the flow of information.


• Steady Vision
  Another aspect of leadership is to hold a vision. A leader must be able to see the big picture and create the right messaging related to empathy and reputation. Reassurance and long-term vision can help ease some of the difficulties during a crisis.

When crisis inevitably comes, good leaders must know how to navigate in the moment – during the most critical moments. Teams of people and healthy organizations depend on it.

During crisis, yes, leaders are concerned about organizational reputation and lasting impacts, but the physical safety of stakeholders and an intentional focus on their emotional wellbeing should always come first.

Dr. Cory Cunningham, a faculty member at Leeds who teaches the crisis leadership module in the LEED: Executive Leadership program, knows that leaders who are prepared to stay steady during workplace situations like active shooters, fires, natural disasters and rogue employee escalations, can effectively manage teams through crisis.

Cunningham earned her PhD in organizational communication and crisis communications from the University of Oklahoma in 2009, during the time of the Virginia Tech shooting. Her focus came from an interest in exploring the communications aspects in heighted situations to prepare and respond effectively in those times of immediate crisis.

“A crisis is an opportunity for a leader to emerge,” Cunningham says. “People can rise to the surface during this time. Those with high levels of emotional intelligence and those leaders naturally skilled in persuasion and influence can rise to prominence if given the opportunity during a crisis.”

Crisis leadership vs. crisis management

Cunningham says there is always the need for leaders to be inspiring and acknowledge the human aspect of business, but especially so during times of crisis when emotions are high, and people tend to be more reactive. During a crisis, the best leaders are capable of self-regulating and remaining calm and cool.

Crisis leadership is reactive and focuses on real-time reaction to an unplanned or unexpected crisis when it hits and how to navigate it. Crisis management, alternatively, focuses on pre-crisis steps for planned situations that can include crisis preparation, due diligence and risk assessment.

Ready to be a better leader during times of crisis?
Leeds will offer our Executive Leadership program on campus in May with a class focused on crisis communications and leadership. The module will look at the crisis model: pre-crisis, crisis and pro-crisis. You will drill down into the pre-crisis aspect and focus on strategies and best practices for leaders/organizations to be doing on an ongoing basis. You will take away key skills related to proactive thinking and inquiry to help you be more proactive in a variety of high-stress situations. Learn more and register for this executive leadership opportunity.

Emotional leadership is a strength, not a weakness.

Emotion and business are not mutually exclusive. Just the opposite, really.

It can be the difference between being an impulsive and reactionary leader or one that is cool and collected.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) creates a strong foundation for other important leadership qualities like decision making, time management and teamwork, so it makes sense that corporate leadership is prioritizing training and development for soft skills like EI that become the difference-makers in people who effectively lead complex and successful business teams across global and matrixed organizations.

Just as organizations are seeking leaders with high EI and the ability to make sound decisions based on empathy, communication and self-awareness, employees also are seeking organizations with strong, supportive cultures.

Salma Shukri, associate teaching professor at the Leeds School of Business, teaches the emotional intelligence module in the Executive Leadership Program. She covers why emotional intelligence matters, especially in today’s business world where teams are spread across the globe and working in hybrid and remote environments.

Shukri breaks down EI into two layers:

• Personal Competence: how well you understand yourself and regulate and control your responses and behaviors to the circumstances that trigger you.
• Relational Competence: your level of social awareness and your ability to adapt your communication to each individual or circumstance.

EI helps manage how you present yourself and how others perceive you, and it helps you understand how to respond to others in appropriate ways.

“If you’re in control of your emotions you make better, more informed decisions,” Shukri said. “Strong emotional intelligence helps with your executive presence and equips you to become a better team player in addition to a leader. It helps with tailoring your communications to be better received, and it also helps with cross-cultural interactions to navigate uncertainty while maintaining an open mind.”

The case for EI

Shukri said the pandemic is a good case study to understand why EI is so salient right now. Virtual environments and dispersed teams can lead to communication and organizational gaps. Emails can become ripe for misunderstanding, and the frequency and format of check-ins can impact employee satisfaction.

Remote environments also present challenges that require managers to be more involved in their employee’s mental wellbeing and monitoring for potential burnout. “It’s about having check-ins and being intentional about connecting with as many people as possible. It’s important to make time for employees to see each other as unique and valuable individuals. One should ask for feedback more frequently about what’s working, make small talk to connect on a personal level, create collaborative spaces to combat feelings of isolation, listen to one another, and remind people they are part of the team.”

She also notes a that surveyed 1,700 senior business leaders and found that, before COVID-19, less than 20% of respondents said Emotional Quotient, another term for EI, would be an important skill for the future. But since the lockdown, EQ increased in significance for 69% of respondents.

Be a more emotionally intelligent leader

Daniel Goleman, psychologist and author of Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ is an EI expert and says there are five core principles to improve emotional intelligence, and of these principles, motivation is the most important attribute. An individual must have intrinsic motivation and a self-improvement mentality to become more emotionally intelligent across the other principles.

Five Core EI Principles

1. Self-awareness: knowing your emotions and their effect on other people
2. Self-regulation: managing your emotions
3. Motivation: defined as “a passion to work for reasons that go beyond money or status”
4. Empathy: recognizing and understanding other people’s emotions and treating people accordingly
5. Social skills: proficiency in managing your relationships and building networks

“Everything was shaken and disrupted,” Shukri said. “With the uncertainty during the pandemic, emotions became more salient and harder to ignore in a business context. What we learned from that circumstance is that it’s more important than ever before to manage yourself, seek the support of others, and to also support others as fellow humans.”

Shukri also notes that the still rings true today – soft skills like EI outweigh hard skills when it comes to top-performing employees and their potential for promotions.

EI in challenging environments

One way EI issues tend to surface is as a challenge in situations where there is a higher likelihood of misunderstanding. Shukri explains how crucial EI is in cross-cultural interactions due to the differences in values, experiences, expectations and norms. These differences can elicit emotional responses such as frustration due to feelings of incompetence or a perceived lack of control. Emotional intelligence helps individuals handle uncertainty with composure while remaining open to different cultural norms through learning and perspective-taking.

“Humans find comfort when there is familiarity and predictability,” Shukri said. “Intercultural and cross-cultural business presents differences outside of our expected norms, and unpredictability can result in negative emotions. Anyone who is training employees to be global leaders is in one way or another training them in emotional intelligence.”

“By following the principles of emotional intelligence, a person can build , and referent power has a direct effect on building psychological safety and loyalty in a team. It can increase employee retention and satisfaction, and help in influencing the people on your team.”

Business leaders can—and to remain competitive, should—build their EI competencies and find the internal motivation to do it. If you’re interested in building up your soft skills to lead through influence and thoughtfulness, consider the one-week immersive executive leadership experience, taught by Leeds faculty including Salma Shukri in May 2024. You can learn more or .

The Graduate School of Banking ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ partners with Leeds on a custom executive leadership program

This summer, University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder welcomed the (GSBC) back to ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder for its Annual School Session, a three-year curriculum with two-weeks of instruction each year. The curriculum is designed for seasoned banking professionals to increase their knowledge of banking, develop as leaders, learn how to effect change and think strategically about bank management.

In addition to the school session, alumni of the program are also invited back each year to campus to reflect on the education and receive new instruction during the three-day . For the past two years, Leeds has partnered with GSBC to offer an to GSBC alumni, complete with a digital credential. This program utilizes curriculum from the Leeds executive leadership program in tandem with GSBC to build on leadership concepts delivered annually during the annual school session.

GSBC provides keynote speakers and brings in educators and consultants to discuss key banking issues affecting the industry, including representatives from federal regulatory agencies.

“Partnering with Leeds allows for the opportunity for continued professional development for our alumni,” said Josie Bunch, GSBC’s vice president of strategy and experience. “This program complements and elevates our curriculum in leadership from the school sessions as we prepare our alumni for taking the next step in refining their leadership journey.”

Each year, the summit is made up of more than 50 professionals and graduates from the Annual School Session, current and rising bank leaders with a commitment to leadership and pride in continuing education to effect change in their careers.

“GSBC and Leeds share a commitment to creating pathways for developing leaders,” said Leeds Professor Russell Cropanzano. “Providing our expertise in areas of leadership like crisis management, ethical climate and diversity management is a great way to enhance the existing leadership curriculum provided for banking professionals.”

ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder has hosted GSBC on campus since 1950 when the ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Bankers Association and the University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder Board of Regents co-sponsored the organization and operation. GSBC is one of only six organizations of its kind in the country, and for the past 70 years, GSBC brings around 600 banking professionals to campus every year from more than 40 states across the country. To date, the community graduates around 170 professionals each year and has over 8,000 graduates since its founding.

  Why Leeds     Executive Education at Leeds

The Leeds Certificate in Executive Leadership gives participants an expanded leadership skill set and a valuable network of peers 

In May, Leeds School of Business welcomed its second cohort into the Leadership, Ethics and Executive Decision-Making (LEED) Certificate program. This one-week training in Boulder allows for deep networking and discussion among participants while going in-depth into about leadership topics by the esteemed faculty at Leeds. This program is produced by Leeds in partnership with the University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder’s

The program opened on May 15 with a welcome lunch and tour of the campus. It served as a great introduction for participants to learn more about each other before beginning with an afternoon session on what makes a leader, from faculty member Doug Bennett. Other sessions throughout the week included lectures on values and awareness, emotional intelligence, ethical leadership, team building, management diversity, and crisis management. The program culminated on the final day with leaders putting the classroom instruction to work in an outdoor active-leadership simulation, where participants worked through decision-making, team communication and other elements of leading others through practical exercises.

“This program provides a high-touch, collaborative environment for learning the critical skills to developing ethical leaders and allows those participants to bring more value back to their organizations,” said Russell Cropanzano, professor of organizational behavior and faculty advisor for the program.

As part of the program, participants connected with program alumni and faculty at a networking dinner. It provided an inspirational setting where participants could build on the conversations and discussions in the sessions.

In addition, participants worked with faculty on personal leadership challenges they were experiencing in their professional lives. Connecting concepts learned throughout the week with the coaching provided a great capstone to the week.

“The three-hour instruction sessions allowed you to sample from a variety of professors. The discussion around leadership problems was the perfect capstone to the week,” said Dan B. an operations manager at Archrock.

Participants left with  a valuable skill set to take back to their organizations along with a network of peers equally dedicated to becoming stronger leaders. Other instructors who taught the program were Julie Marie A. Shepherd Macklin, Salma Shukri, Joshua Nunziato, Walt Morgan, Dejun Tony Kong, Cory Cunningham and Seth Webb.  The executive leadership program will return in May 2024 with dates to be announced at a later date.

  Why Leeds     Executive Education at Leeds

Most business owners will tell you ethics are important, but rarely will they consider ethical issues to be in the same category as core focus areas like finance or marketing. 

Joshua Nunziato said that’s a big mistake—and that ethics can play just as large a role as other considerations when it comes to a company’s success or failure. 

Nunziato, an ethics expert and the campus leader for the at the University of ŷ���ڱ���Ƶ Boulder, has spent his career studying how businesses thrive and fail depending on how—and when—they employ ethical business practices. These real-world examples become case studies for his students to see just how important ethics are in business.

Ethics isn't a dogma teachers impose on their students, Nunziato said. Instead, it’s a conversation about how we express our deepest values, aspirations and convictions together through common purposes, ordered by organizations like corporations. 

Nunziato shared his perspectives on ethical leadership and why it’s especially important for professionals looking to make the leap from mid- to senior-level management. 

Fundamentally, leadership happens inside out. It begins with your inner life, then gets expressed in how you inspire, motivate, guide and galvanize groups to accomplish shared objectives for collective benefit. 

In order to lead others well, it's vital to first cultivate self-awareness and consciousness in yourself. If you know who you are and what you want—and have your inner life in balance—you'll be able to authentically challenge others to lead from within. When members of a group do that together, it creates the conditions necessary for psychological safety, savvy interdependence and organic collaboration—the magic ingredients of effective teams and organizations.

Ethical leadership is closer to “grace under pressure” than it is to “being nice.” 

One of my business heroes, —a legendary startup coach and successful VC—challenges entrepreneurs to lead with a strong back and an open heart. This guidance—delivered through his coaching sessions marked by "radical self-inquiry" and insightful conflict resolution—has empowered him to shape the leaders and cultures of dozens of the most dynamic and innovative companies in the United States.

Empathy matters so much for contemporary leadership because we live in a culture in which people value being seen and recognized. 

Empathy is fundamentally about . When people experience empathy, they are more likely to practice it, and when a culture is marked by empathic relationships, you have conditions ripe for purposeful, collaborative work. People feel safe to innovate, challenge and explore.

The word ethics comes from the same word as “ethos.” Ethics is closely related to culture—the “vibe” of an organization. 

It's how things (really) work in the interpersonal relationships that enable people to accomplish things together. If you have an unethical culture, you have an organization with a lot of sand in the gears: A lack of transparency, authenticity, respect and fairness increases interpersonal friction while encouraging burnout, cynicism and “quiet quitting”—all things that sap the esprit de corps of an organization. These features are especially bad in a tight labor market, in which many workers are demanding purpose-driven organizations and authentic workplace cultures that align with their values. Ethical leadership is key for cultures that keep people feeling engaged and satisfied because they are encouraged to show up as their authentic selves.

The common theme around the role of ethics in successful cultures is that it’s always a top of mind issue, and not something to consider after a disaster or in the midst of a PR problem. That’s why it’s so important for aspiring leaders to celebrate and prioritize ethics for themselves and their teams, and it’s why Leeds puts the interplay between leadership and ethics at the core of its LEED—Leadership, Ethics, Executive Decision Making—program. In addition to other core business skills, this one-week program teaches you how to create a culture that values ethics in every decision, not just in crisis. If you’re ready to discover your authentic, ethical leadership style, this immersive executive leadership experience, delivered by Leeds faculty in Boulder, might be just what you need. Seats are filling fast for the May 2024 session; now or learn more here.