The Emerging Leaders program, offered by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, aims to transform non-executives into business leaders. Participants hone their leadership skills through faculty instruction, cohort teamwork, networking and dedicated work, pushing themselves to emerge from the program as prepared leaders. The latest course is enrolling now for a session beginning in June.

“This isn’t going to be ‘sage on the stage,’” says Nancy Scott, lecturer and director of leadership development programs for Haslam’s Graduate and Executive Education (GEE). “Leadership development is about growth, not grades. You must invest in the work to achieve that growth. You have to challenge yourself to recognize you might be perceiving yourself inaccurately. Aspiring leaders must challenge themselves to think about what they want out of their future and then challenge themselves to do the hard work to get there. Yes, this program will be challenging. But the best aspect of this course is the faculty support and high-touch approach to foster the student’s transformation.”

Focused Leadership Growth

Designed for new and transitioning leaders looking to positively impact their organizations, the Emerging Leaders program emphasizes experiential learning. Scott’s philosophy is that to become a leader, students must practice leadership skills in their lives. By doing so, the skills necessary for their next role become ingrained.

“Participants will practice coaching, they’ll practice giving feedback—the approach is very hands-on,” Scott says. “Enrolling in the Emerging Leaders Program is a type of investment in a person’s development that typically doesn’t happen for early-career individuals.”

To begin the program, participants undertake a series of self-assessment tests, including some unique to the program, as well as UT’s proprietary 360-degree personality survey and other leadership and personality inventories. With instructor guidance and support, participants identify their leadership strengths and weaknesses as well as their tendencies and styles. Armed with this new awareness, they build their leadership capabilities by diving into interactive learning, group discussions, case studies, leadership and coaching simulations and one-on-one coaching sessions. Ultimately, students gain an enhanced understanding of their own leadership prowess, providing them with a heightened ability to lead individuals and teams.

Another benefit of the program is the access to networking opportunities. The course is intended for a small cohort, which encourages strong bonds among participants and instructors.

“We create a trusting environment where you can speak openly, and you’ve got faculty and coaches who care about you and support you,” Scott says. “Our expectation is that participants will grow their professional network with their classmates and instructors who care about leadership to the same extent they do.”

World-Class Faculty, Premier Instruction

A team of instructors with decades of experience nurturing leaders administers Haslam’s Emerging Leaders program. In addition to Scott, the team includes the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship’s Tory Kinson and Jason Strickling, GEE’s executive director of Leadership and Strategy, Jonathan Harvey, and GEE executive leadership coaches Jennifer Gamble and Brenda Baird. Baird is one of only 1,300 master-certified coaches in the entire world.

“Our faculty’s leadership development experience and expertise are important,” Scott says. “Even more important than that, they are motivated to support people.”

Scott is representative of the instructor team’s breadth of knowledge. She has 15 years of experience in leadership development, including founding the leadership major at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, which grew into the largest major on campus during her time there. She has also received multiple teaching awards and honors. In 2023 alone, she won the UT Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award, Haslam’s Richard Sanders Faculty Leadership Award and the Management and Human Resource Program’s Outstanding Faculty Award for the Master of Science.

Chad McLennan, a flight chief in the aerospace industry and alum of one of Scott’s leadership courses, attests to the quality instruction Scott delivers.

“Dr. Scott’s class has been the best class I have attended through working at my organization, and I’ve been to a lot from being in a leadership role for 10 years,” McLennan says. “This class helps people work on and understand themselves first, so they can return to work and be better leaders in their roles. It’s hands-on and practical. I learned quite a few things I will take forward.”

Two-Session Program and Other Details

The course is delivered over two four-day sessions, each from Thursday to Sunday. The first session will be held June 20-23 and the second November 7-10. While students will gain maximum results from attending both sessions, each four-day block is thematically based, so participants can choose to attend either or both sessions. The investment is $7,500 for the full eight-day series, which includes four one-on-one leadership coaching sessions, and $3,800 for one stand-alone session. The fee includes books and classroom materials as well as breakfast, lunch and break refreshments. All graduates will receive a certificate of completion signifying that they have completed all requirements of the program.

To ensure personalized instruction, class size is limited, so early enrollment is strongly encouraged. To sign up or request more information, visit the Emerging Leaders Program website.

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CONTACT:

Scott McNutt, business writer/publicist, rmcnutt4@utk.edu