OP Leadership Development Program open for nominations
April 20, 2015 •
What do UC Provost Aimee Dorr, CFO Nathan Brostrom and COO Rachael Nava have in common?
Aside from their senior positions, they are all among a few of the dozen top OP leaders who run a course each year, known as the Leadership Development Program (LDP), that aims to cultivate skills in the organization’s up-and-coming leaders.
If you know of someone on your staff who might benefit from the program, why not nominate them or invite them to self-nominate? Applications for the 2015 LDP class are due May 15.
Participants meet for a full day each month for presentations by UCOP senior leaders and interactive learning opportunities on such topics as strategic planning, design thinking and problem solving, and presentation skills. Homework assignments and a collaborative project require additional time.
Learning to lead, not just manage, is a cornerstone of the program, according to Eric Heng, assistant director of student services in Student Affairs and a 2014 LDP participant. Hearing from OP leadership about their different styles made an impression. “The information was helpful for me in a leadership capacity,” Heng said. “Managing is reactive. Leadership is leading from core values.”
About halfway through the program, participants are broken into teams to work on real UCOP projects. Last year’s projects included research and planning for the new Energy and Sustainability department, development of recommendations for the Business Officer Institute and a one-year evaluation of the Efficiency Review.
The team approach helps emerging leaders build lasting relationships across OP. “It was a great networking opportunity,” said 2014 LDP graduate Yem Ling Fong, manager of production and business operations in Marketing and Communications. “It’s been advantageous for me to be able to reach out to people doing similar work, to have more resources.”
The Leadership Development Program starts June 30 and runs through mid-February. For more about the curriculum and participant requirements and application forms, see the LDP website.
