Leading EDGE Program: Curriculum

Leadership: Cultivating a Culture of Distributed Leadership

High-performing organizations distribute leadership across all levels, moving beyond traditional hierarchy to a networked talent model. Participants will:

• Explore leadership philosophies that shape decision-making and organizational culture.
• Examine consultative and participative leadership models, emphasizing empowerment and stewardship.
• Learn the Leadership Functions Framework, which includes Strategic Stakeholder Value Analysis (SSVA), Vision/Values Implementation, Suprasystem Integration, and Leadership Enablement.
• Develop skills in facilitation, engagement, and energizing teams, fostering an adaptive leadership approach.

Vision: Creating a Clear and Compelling Direction

A strong vision aligns employees, stakeholders, and resources toward common goals. Participants will:

• Define and articulate a shared organizational vision that cascades across departments.
• Utilize future-planning and scenario analysis techniques to anticipate and respond to change.
• Integrate personal and organizational leadership aspirations to drive collective impact.
• Apply insights from Marquet’s “Turn the Ship Around” framework to transition from leader-follower to leader-leader paradigms.

Values: Defining the Core Principles that Guide Decision-Making

Values drive ethical governance and organizational integrity. Participants will:

• Define and operationalize organizational values, embedding them into policies and decision-making.
• Explore how values influence trust, transparency, and public accountability.
• Understand the Values to Work Culture Spiral, ensuring alignment between individual actions and institutional goals.
• Engage in exercises that assess cultural alignment and build a values-driven workplace.

Strategy: Aligning Resources and Actions for High-Performance Outcomes

Strategic planning is essential for resource allocation, personnel management, and goal-setting. Participants will:

• Conduct Strategic Value Analysis (SVA) to define what high performance means for their organization.
• Use the HPO Seven Diagnostic Questions to critically evaluate organizational effectiveness:
• Learn to balance financial stewardship with community impact, ensuring sustainability and efficiency.

Structure: Building an Adaptive and Collaborative Organization

Rigid hierarchical structures often hinder performance, necessitating adaptable models. Participants will:

• Explore strategies for breaking down silos and fostering interdepartmental collaboration.
• Implement Parallel Organization Structures, providing spaces for strategic thinking separate from daily operations.
• Study the Networked Talent Model, integrating functional alignment, cross-sector partnerships, and team-based leadership.
• Understand the role of suprasystem integration, aligning various government functions into a cohesive unit.

Systems: Creating Mechanisms for Continuous Improvement and Sustainability

Sustainable systems ensure that government operations remain responsive and effective. Participants will:

• Implement performance measurement tools for real-time assessment of operational success.
• Explore financial stewardship models, ensuring budgets align with strategic goals.
• Utilize data-driven decision-making approaches, enhancing service delivery and community engagement.
• Engage in the vision to performance spiral, a structured process for embedding high-performance principles into daily work.