Leadership development

It is the expectation and goal of VCU that good leadership exists throughout its workforce. The purpose of this section is to set forth institutional expectations with respect to leadership development and the ways in which demonstrated leadership is recognized and rewarded. While all managers are expected to be leaders, VCU is well aware that not all leaders are managers. This section is directed at managers because of the critical role they play in creating work environments where leadership is encouraged, recognized and nurtured. For employees who are not currently in management roles but aspire to be leaders, participation in leadership development activities is an optional part of their career development.

VCU supports managers in their leadership development and expects managers to participate in training and educational opportunities that contribute to sustaining, enhancing and improving their leadership skills. Other developmental resources include experiential learning, 360 feedback, coaching, mentoring, networking and team-based simulations to solve real problems. It is the expectation of the university that managers participate in such activities on a regular and ongoing basis and schedule at least one such developmental opportunity each year consistent with available resources. To realize the full potential of the VCU leadership competencies, managers are also expected to adopt practices that develop and reward leadership throughout their area.

From these expectations, two critical competencies have been identified for effective leadership at VCU: leading others and leading change. The university's leadership development curriculum is designed around these competencies so managers have the support and resources they need to be successful in living up to the high standards expected of those who serve in these challenging roles.

Go to the course catalog to browse and register for leadership development courses.

Leading others

To lead others, managers must demonstrate the ability to:

• Develop and manage people, engage employees in establishing goals that align with the university’s vision and mission and help employees meet or exceed those goals
• Manage employee performance by providing clear expectations, effective feedback and coaching
• Motivate and support others to make the most of their current skills and empower them to be leaders
• Identify development needs, encourage employees to take advantage of opportunities to meet those needs and guide employees in aligning performance with success and achieving optimal results
• Promote and maintain an open and respectful workplace that fosters the development of others, demonstrate an open-minded approach to working with others, and facilitate collaboration and constructive resolution of conflicts

Leading change

To lead change, managers must demonstrate the ability to:

• Bring about strategic change to meet or exceed university/division/unit goals by establishing a vision and implementing it in a continuously changing environment
• Take a long-term, big picture view and inspire a shared vision in others
• Act as a catalyst for organizational change by inspiring and influencing others to translate vision into action
• Develop new insights into situations, question conventional approaches, and encourage new ideas and innovations
• Keep self and others focused on the objective, and anticipate potential problems and plan accordingly