Office of Public Leadership announces U of I Leadership Academy

Elected officials, agency officials and administrative professionals from all levels of government in Illinois have a new opportunity to enhance their leadership skills through the University of Illinois Leadership Academy.

The Leadership Academy, which is a service of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs and its Office of Public Leadership, provides a 10-month course that focuses on developing a leadership style, the principles of leadership and responsibilities of a leader.

“I have been challenged to look at issues differently, taught to use multiple senses in the decision-making process, and have learned through this leadership program the importance of training the most important resource, ‘human capital,’” said Mayor Scott Eisenhauer of Danville. “The strength in the program is the outstanding speakers and presenters, but I dare say you will learn as much from your classmates as you will the staff.”

The Leadership Academy draws upon the knowledge and experience of University of Illinois faculty, leadership trainers and others who bring a variety of perspectives to the class discussions.

“The University of Illinois Leadership Academy builds upon years of experience in leadership education in the Institute of Government and Public Affairs and the university,” said Richard J. Winkel Jr., director of the Office of Public Leadership. “It uniquely blends in depth study of leadership principles and responsibilities with concrete, real-life public policy questions. We draw upon a cadre of IGPA faculty and presenters whose expertise in leadership principles and style is unmatched.”

The Academy is accepting registrations for its first class, which will meet for six 2-day sessions over the course of 10 months, beginning June 26-27 in Urbana-Champaign with subsequent sessions in August, October, December and April 2010. The sessions will rotate among the U of I campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield. See a downloadable registration form.

Each of the two-day sessions focuses on a different aspect of leadership. Class participants will evaluate their own leadership style, study communications and critical thinking, learn about organizational skills, strategy development and implementation, managing change and ethics.