To take advantage of opportunities for change and growth within their industries and organizations, executives today must surmount significant challenges by making quick decisions. Effective leaders see what needs to be done, understand all the forces at play, and have the courage to initiate action.

Designed for executives who are wrestling with their effectiveness in recognizing opportunities, leading others, and timely decision making, this program integrates the skills of analytical decision making with the challenges of leadership. Participants will increase their levels of influence and authority in any situation and improve their abilities to take advantage of opportunities.

• Emerging leaders who want to stretch their abilities to influence others and create change. 
• Executives and managers who wish to better manage and mediate cross-functional and organizational opportunities.  
• Managers involved with partner, supplier, customer, and employee relationships. 
• Those who want to be better leaders and decision makers.

Participants will return to the workplace with:

• A broadened ability to see all the forces at play in opportunities. 
• A sharpened capacity to identify and seize opportunities. 
• An enhanced ability to negotiate change to become more powerful leaders. 
• Clarification of personal challenges and opportunities for improvement. 
• Crystallization of a plan to make timely personal and professional decisions, and to lead and take control of one's life.
• Deepened understanding and skill with analytical decision making. 
• The aptitude to see and seize opportunities every day.
• The knowledge to exert influence without direct authority. 

• The Framework for Seizing Opportunity 
  – Identifying problems, challenges, and opportunities 
  – Analyzing options 
  – Courage to act during turbulence 
  – Understanding personal leadership challenges 



• Overcoming Barriers to Create Value 
  – Negotiating within organizations 
  – Leading without authority 
  – Reframing relationships 
  – Promoting cooperative outcomes 
  – Developing decision-making and influencing skills 



• Leading Change From the Middle 
  – Managing the boss 
  – Dealing with difficult people 
  
  
• Leveraging Insights 
  – Lessons from one's personal life story 
  – Confronting assumptions 
  – Formulating a personal development plan 
  – Creating opportunities to capitalize on the personal plan 
  

• Senior Vice President, Client Services
• Vice President/General Manager
• Trade Commissioner
• Business Area Manager, Mission Solutions
• Director, Human Resources
• Director of Operations
• Senior Manager, Software Engineering
• Systems Acquisitions Manager

Business Challenge Application: Executives bring to the program a current business challenge or issue they are facing in the workplace. Throughout the course, participants will be able to directly apply the learned skills and techniques to their specific challenges, and will return to the workplace with tools for best practices and strategies for potential solutions.

Robert L. Carraway
John L. Colley, Jr. Associate Professor of Business Administration and Associate Dean for Degree Programs, The Darden School, University of Virginia.

James G. Clawson
Johnson & Higgins Professor of Business Administration, The Darden School, University of Virginia.