Caribbean Leadership Development Program

Overview

This innovative program is designed to meet the leadership development needs of select federal professionals at the GS-14, GS-13, and GS-12 levels or equivalent, who work in federal, state, or local government organizations located in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Caribbean Leadership Development Program has been designed as a seven month program to fulfill the leadership development needs of federal leaders in this region.

The program is based on a "whole person" model comprised of four dimensions: intellectual, emotional, physical, and behavioral. The curriculum combines this model with specific monthly sessions taught by highly-skilled professional facilitators who focus on the development of the OPM Leadership Competencies or Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). Research shows that development of these competencies is essential to success in senior-level public-sector leadership positions.

Program Components

Orientation. The program begins with an intense three-day orientation focused on self-awareness and understanding. During orientation, psychological and behavioral assessments (MBTI, FIRO-B, and the Leadership Practices Inventory), experiential activities, discussion groups and presentations provide participants with an opportunity to explore and develop awareness of their strengths and areas for potential development.

Classroom Sessions. Throughout the remainder of the program, bi-monthly facilitated topic sessions are focused on delivery of content and activities designed to build on strengths and develop challenge areas. A number of additional assessments are conducted throughout the program to explore aspects of emotional intelligence, conflict management, and peak performance among others, to further explore self-awareness and promote opportunities for personal growth and development.

  • Month 1: Orientation (3 days) and Leading High-Performing Teams (2 days)
  • Month 3: Emotional Intelligence (1 day); Resiliency (1 day); and Ethical Decision-Making (1 day)
  • Month 5: Conflict Management and Collaborative Problem-Solving (2 days), Coaching Skills for Leaders (1 day); and Leading Change (1 day)
  • Month 7: Applied Leadership (1 day) and Course Review and Graduation (1 day)

Bi-monthly Webinars. Every other month, an hour-long webinar will be held to give students the opportunity to integrate the information learned in the previous month. They will consist of a short multimedia presentation and a group discussion. Student questions on the previous month's classes are encouraged.

Professional Coaching. Four one-on-one individual consultations with a professional executive coach are conducted to guide the participant’s development over the course of the program. This aspect of the program has been shown to facilitate assimilation of content, personal transformation and development, and transfer of learning.

Developmental Activities.

Individual Development Activity: After the Orientation, participants return to their organizations and begin work on their Individual Development Activity. The selected development activity should provide the participant with an opportunity to stretch and develop their challenge areas and are to be tailored around both a personal/professional road map as well as the needs of the participant’s organization. Implementation of the Individual Development Activity takes place throughout the program and a Final Report is due at the end of the program.
Team Development Activity Over the course of the program, participants collaborate on a research-based Team Development Activity to support the development and application of effective team building and team leadership skills. On the last day of the program, teams will give a presentation on the results of their activity and the dynamics of working together as a team.

Career Development and Graduation: The program concludes with a two-day meeting where participants will engage in an Applied Leadership session and a culminating event encompassing all aspects of the program: assessing personal and professional growth and results, developing a plan for continuing to build on the successes they have achieved, and celebrating their accomplishments

How you will benefit

  • Participants in the program represent an expansive cross-section of civilian and military agencies and organizations. This inter-agency perspective provides participants with an opportunity to network with and gain peer support from professionals from other agencies to enhance the learning process and the value of the LDP experience.
  • Locally held sessions reduce TDY costs and time away from the jobs.
  • Provides participants with a convenient venue for participation in premier learning and development opportunities.
  • Based on feedback from past participants and their supervisors, the program presents a tremendous opportunity that significantly contributes to organizational leadership capabilities, career development, and personal growth. Feedback from participants demonstrates that the program has provided them with transformative benefits not experienced in their prior professional development training. These include greater flexibility in leadership style; increased skill in recognizing the differences between individuals in the workplace; the ability to see things from different perspectives and to successfully take action; greater risk taking initiative; and unique opportunities to integrate prior training experiences.

Who should attend

This program is limited to high-potential GS-12, GS-13, and GS-14 Federal, state, and local government employees who work in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Competencies emphasized

  • Conflict Management
  • Developing Others
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Leveraging Diversity
  • Partnering
  • Team Building

Prerequisites: N/A

College Credit:N/A

Length: 7 months