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The goal of the Introduction module is to provide information about how ALDOT began, and the many changes which have occurred throughout the history of the Department. Reviewing the history helps to develop the idea that the Department has been a constant of change from its beginning, due to the changing needs of the State and the Department.

Employees today are thirsting for leadership. Unfortunately, many leaders attempt to lead today's employees with yesterday's leadership styles. In this module, participants will be able to understand the critical importance of being a highly effective leader capable of creating and maintaining high levels of employee management. With this focus, participants will discuss the most impactful practices for engaging and empowering employees. Through group and individual activities, group discussions, and a personal leadership assessment, participants will analyze the differences between leaders and managers as well assess their own leadership styles. The module concludes with leadership practices and approaches that enable participants to become Transformational leaders, providing the foundation for the remainder of the Leadership Academy.

Any attempt at success must begin with a sound plan or approach. This is also true with leadership. Having effective strategies for leading employees in the desired direction to meet section and agency goals is essential to successful leadership In this module, participants will gain an understanding of the strategic planning process by examining core values that are mission critical. They will also be able to assess their roles and responsibilities in the strategic planning process by evaluating the mission, vision, and values of the agency. Participants will conduct stakeholder analysis to consider how key stakeholders factor into strategic planning and SWOT analysis to examine internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats affecting their section. Utilizing assessments, group discussion and team exercises, participants will engage in strategic planning practices to help grow their leadership competency.

In today's busy world, leaders are rarely afforded the opportunity to prepare for leadership roles based on the specific needs of their position. Leaders are often not given any leadership training until after they have been promoted to leadership positions, thus they find themselves in a perpetual state of playing catch up and learning on the fly. In this module, participants will discuss the five foundational musts using the "Five S" model and apply the principles through scenario analysis. Participants will have the opportunity to establish a "leadership legacy" by reinforcing what needs to be cultivated with each component of the model and establishing a "Character Based Trust" approach for leading others.

"Shift Happens." One of the greatest challenges facing new supervisors is the transition from doing work to getting work done through others. A smooth transition to getting work done by others is sometimes difficult and requires numerous changes. In this module, participants will be able to develop positive approaches for building new employee relationships by successfully preparing the shift from employee to supervisor. This module examines some of the common mistakes new supervisors make and provides tips for connecting with all employees including older, younger, and the entire team. Participants will also consider ways to build positive relationships with the new boss and colleagues. Using scenario-based discussions, this module gives insight into successfully completing the transition with previous employees, different boss types, teams, and demanding situations.

We are born with a certain IQ which mostly is set and can only be minimally increased. Our (EQ) Emotional Quotient, however, is not set rather is developed and grows through our exercise of effective Emotion Intelligence practices. In this module, participants will examine their level of EQ through a self-assessment. Additionally, this module looks at the physiology behind Emotional Intelligence, allowing participants to understand how the automatic nature of emotions and thoughts may provoke immediate responses that are not emotionally intelligent. An examination of each of the four components of Emotional Intelligence, along with group discussion and individual activities, helps participants identify ways to increase emotional intelligence and become aware of some common blunders encountered while attempting to increase EQ. Participants will be able to further evaluate their level of EQ based on their responses to scenarios and reflective questions.

The American workplace is more diverse now than at any point in its history. Leaders that understand who they are themselves and take advantage of the differences in their employees have a greater chance of being successful. In this module, participants will assess their personality preferences through a review and application of the DiSC assessment. Participants will be able to identify the benefits of working with diverse groups of people and provide better leadership for each person based on their individual temperaments. Additionally, the latest research on generations and gender will facilitate participants' understanding of differences in these areas and help them determine some best practices for communicating with each group based on their identified preferences. Group discussions, group activities, and reflective questions give participants and opportunity to solve problems and address issues.

When there have been failures in business, teams and even marriages, the main problem is often poor or non-existent communication. Effective communication is critical in all situations and is paramount to success for leaders and the people they lead. In this module, participants will be able to identify barriers and filters that limit effective communication as well as identify and apply the characteristics of effective communication. Utilizing the principles of "Start with Why," participants can develop communications strategies that influence employees to work toward the goals of the agency. Through group and individual discussions and activities, participants will be able to recognize the three components of communication, understand how listening affects the communication process and employ communication approaches that maximize positive outcomes in different types of meetings.

During the recent pandemic and "The Great Resignation" of 2020 and 2021, many employees who remained loyal to a specific company cited the flexibility of their supervisor and/or organization, or the ability to adjust to the situation, as one of the main reasons they stayed at their jobs. In this module, participants will assess and discuss their level of change readiness through a personal assessment. Additionally, addressing ways to change negative self-talk and mental blocks that inhibit flexibility will help participants prepare themselves and their employees to lead rather than resist change. Scenarios utilizing the Bridges Transition Model further encourage participants to establish an effective process for leading change. Participants will be able to develop successful individual change strategies by applying the "Start with Why" and DiSC information from previous modules.

What makes a good leader? Is it superior strength, passion or intelligence? While all these traits and others help, lasting leadership needs something more. Leadership is built on trust and the stability provided by having a strong character is crucial to building trust with others. This module focuses on the important of character in leadership and provides guidance on the continual pursuit to develop that character.

In a culmination of the entirety of Lead Academy, this module sews together the need for today's leaders to focus on Transformational Leadership, which is also the way many younger employees dominating the workplace prefer to be led. Transformational leaders recognize the need to evaluate their own practices as well as build the capabilities of their employees. Meanwhile, employees are looking for leaders that can help them develop into leaders. In this module participants will understand the importance of developing themselves as leaders before they can influence their employees in a positive way. In examining the leader's role in developing employees, participants will be able to see why leadership is not a position but a choice. Participants will also put into practice specific techniques for developing employees in their current positions and preparing them for future positions by utilizing coaching and mentoring. Being acutely aware of the differences between coaching and mentoring allows leaders to apply the appropriate method depending on the goals of the situation.