Blog Archives

Strengths-Based Leadership

Each of us has our own gifts, talents, or strengths, and we often feel the most engaged, fulfilled, and productive when we are able to apply those abilities to our work. Wouldn’t you like to lead and work this way, every day?

Description

Nearly a decade ago, Gallup unveiled the results of a landmark 30-year research project that ignited a global landmark conversation on the topic of strengths. More than 7 million people have since taken Gallup’s Strengths Finder Assessment. Strengths-Based Leadership challenges leaders to assess, understand, and maximize their own strengths and invest in the development of the strengths of others.

This program includes an in-depth assessment of your leadership strengths and helps you integrate those results with your specific business goals. There are opportunities to focus and practice how to leverage your strengths, through role-playing activities, allowing for learning in a low-risk environment.

Audience

Professionals in current leadership roles, or who are preparing for leadership roles within their organization.

Outcome

Participants will walk away with these skills:

  • Understanding, affirming, developing, and using your own unique strengths
  • Creating strategies to develop strengths in yourself and other individuals and organizations
  • Understanding how to effectively leverage your personal strengths across a variety of leadership contexts

Venue

Cintas Center
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, 45207 United States + Google Map
Phone
513-745-1094

Public Sector Leadership Certificate Program

The Public Sector Leadership Certificate (PSLC) is designed for emerging leaders or those wanting to energize their leadership working in law enforcement, public safety, city, state and county government, and any public sector organization.

This program was developed through extensive feedback from public sector leaders about what is needed to be successful in the public sector in today’s environment and amid ongoing change. Portions of the program are facilitated by instructors with public sector experience.

Description

This program incorporates an assessment that provides a picture of your current management and leadership strengths while providing insight into opportunity areas for growth and development.

Program topics include:

  • Focusing on self-awareness as the foundation of effective leadership in public service.
  • Equipping leaders with communication and conflict resolution tools for high-stakes environments.
  • Helping leaders guide teams through the uncertainty and complexity of change.
  • Pulling everything together for sustainable leadership growth in the public sector.

Program Modules:

  1. Discovering Your Leadership Style
  2. Navigating Difficult Interactions
  3. Change Management and Decision Making
  4. Moving Forward as a Leader

Prior to the start of the program, participants will complete an assessment focused on their leadership skills. The assessment provides a picture of your current management and leadership strengths while providing insight to opportunity areas for growth and development. Results from this assessment will guide discussions throughout the 4-day program.

Audience

Current and emerging leaders or experienced leaders within a public sector organization wanting to energize their leadership skills. Participants with direct reports will greater benefit from the program.

Testimonials

"I would highly recommend the program for your executive level staff, but especially for your mid-level managers and supervisors. The vast variety of topics, group work, and peer interaction all benefited me in my position."

— Chief Steve Pegram, Goshen Township Fire & EMS

"I think every public servant should take the Public Sector Leadership Program at Xavier Leadership Center. It is a completely transformational experience. Not only do you discover your strengths as a leader and a public servant, but your opportunities for growth as well."

— Earl Price, Sheriff's Captain, Training Coordinator, Hamilton Sheriff Department

"The Public Sector Leader Certificate Program gave me the knowledge to not only be able to properly rate myself as leader but also to see how others in my field rated me. This side by side comparison opened my eyes to areas I hadn’t thought of as in need of improvement and pointed out strengths I didn’t know I had."

— Chief Richard L. Wallace, Amberley Village Police-Fire Department

“The Public Sector Leadership Certificate Program provided me with an opportunity to recognize what leadership qualities I already possessed and taught me to build upon those qualities to make me an even more productive leader.”

— Captain Ron Wallace, Norwood Fire Department

Venue

Cintas Center
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, 45207 United States + Google Map
Phone
513-745-1094

Influencing in a Cross-Functional Organization

A cross-functional organization is one where multiple reporting lines exist. This may involve direct line or indirect reporting to one or more individuals.

At their best, cross-functional structures can be creative and high-performing. At their worst, they can be a confusing labyrinth of changing players who lack accountability. The skills and behaviors needed to make management a success require a new emphasis on exceptional people skills and methods for influence.

Description

This one-day program will address:

  • Self-awareness and preparation
  • Establishing clear goals upfront
  • A cohesive narrative for persuasion
  • Anticipating or dealing with pushback
  • Systematic follow through to ensure positive outcomes

Audience

Employees at all levels who need to effectively influence others in order to achieve personal, team, and organizational goals will benefit from this program.

Outcome

Participants will walk away with these skills:

  • Identifying personal influencing style, testing out new tactics, and mapping out a territory and relationship blueprint
  • Defining clear outcomes and identifying objectives, obstacles, strategies, and tactics
  • Learning the art of emotional storytelling, elevator pitches, the hook, and how to avoid the curse of knowledge
  • Demonstrating how to test for alignment through listening and responding to concerns and neutralizing defensive and positional responses
  • Utilizing approaches for regular check-in to maintain commitment and anticipate obstacles

Testimonials

“I have never been so engaged in a training program! I am going to suggest this program to use at my agency’s retreat. The facilitators were fantastic! Everyone at all levels of my organization can benefit from this course.”

“With the negotiation techniques I learned in this program, I will be better equipped to handle conflicts. Overall, I think this program will definitely help me be a better manager, which will ultimately result in a stronger more effective team.”

“This is the best program—EVER. And I work in sales training. The facilitators were great and their experience and perspective from ‘outside’ the business world was new, refreshing, and I would even say, more valuable.”

— David, Cisco

Venue

Cintas Center
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, 45207 United States + Google Map
Phone
513-745-1094

Navigating Change at All Levels

Successful change doesn't just depend on top-down decisions—it requires awareness, action, and resilience from every level of an organization.

Description

Change is inevitable and how it’s navigated across all levels of an organization has a significant impact on employee engagement, individual and organizational performance, and the long-term success of the change. Whether you’re leading change, being asked to change, or supporting others through change, having the tools to manage change effectively is essential.

Navigating Change at All Levels goes beyond an intellectual understanding of change, it explores how change affects people and how individuals at any level can contribute to successful outcomes. This program equips participants with practical tools and experience to effectively contribute to the change to deliver the desired results.

Audience

Individual contributors, managers, and leaders at all levels of the organization.

Outcome

Participants will walk away with these skills:

  • Recognizing and managing the phases of change and its’ impacts on individuals
  • Understanding how to effectively navigate and support the change process
  • Identifying organizational allies and resources for support
  • Managing resistance and uncertainty during change
  • Preparing themselves and others for upcoming change

Venue

Cintas Center
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, 45207 United States + Google Map
Phone
513-745-1094

Women’s Business Leadership Certificate

Women offer unique skills and values in the workplace that create success in any organization. Having diverse organizational leadership increases innovation, creative thinking, and well-rounded decision-making.

To help organizations and individuals capitalize on developing women leaders and leaders that support women in leadership, the certificate focuses on:

  • Personal Authentic Leadership
  • Business Acumen; Finance, Strategic Thinking, Negotiation Skills
  • Communication

This program provides an opportunity for mid-level managers to develop the necessary business acumen and leadership skills necessary for further advancement in organizations. Participants benefit from the cohort model by developing long-lasting personal and professional relationships. Sessions are facilitated by Xavier Leadership Center’s nationally recognized and experienced practitioners. These subject-matter experts integrate knowledge with experience to focus on real issues and create opportunities to apply the concepts immediately. The program is multi-layered and highly interactive.

Program Layers:

  • Immersive Experience: A fun, informal environment that fosters team building among the participants; a shared experience is important for developing the cohort.
  • Business Skills: Offering skills and concepts drawn from Xavier Leadership Center’s experienced professionals and subject-matter experts to increase knowledge in areas critical to the mission of businesses.
  • Personal and Authentic Leadership Development: Expanding organizational and personal leadership capabilities with a focus on bringing unique strengths and styles to work.
  • Assessment: The program includes an assessment to discover personal management styles; insight into directing, delegating, and motivating; and strategies to support long-term development.

Program Dates: Participants are expected to attend each session in order to complete the certificate. If participants have known scheduling conflicts, they are encouraged to let XLC know and an alternative can be planned, if necessary.

  • Sep 10, 2025 (5pm-8:30pm)
  • Sep 11, 2025 (8:30am-3:30pm)
  • Oct 9, 2025 (8:30am-3:30pm)
  • Nov 13, 2025 (8:30am-3:30pm)
  • Dec 11, 2025 (8:30am-2:30pm)
  • Jan 15, 2026 (8:30am-3:30pm)
  • Feb 12, 2026 (8:30am-3:30pm)
  • Mar 12, 2026 (8:30am-3:30pm)
  • Apr 9, 2026 (8:30am-3:30pm)
  • May 14, 2026 (8:30am-3:30pm)
  • Jun 11, 2026 (8:30am-3:30pm)

Description

Certificate Topics:

This certificate program will feature a different topic for each of the 10 program sessions. Topics are chosen using attendees' feedback, workplace trends, and various opportunities. Topics from previous cohorts include:

Kick-Off Event
The Women's Business Leadership Certificate program begins with an informal dinner event where participants can learn more about the program and their fellow cohort members. This kick-off event lays the foundation for relationship-building and networking throughout the program.

Personal Authentic Leadership
This program begins with a personal assessment of your innate combination of thinking and behavioral preferences that make you unique. This knowledge will allow you to understand the leadership styles that fit with who you are and how you are most valuable to your team and the organization. You will also develop an understanding of the key considerations that determine which leadership approaches will be most effective to accomplish your goals. Upon completion, you will create your own plan for applying insights from this transformative journey to becoming a more effective leader in your organization.

Finance for Leaders
As a leader, no matter what area of the organization in which you work, decisions need to be made with an understanding of the financial impact on the company. You'll develop an understanding of all of the key financial documents, how to interpret them, and why they are important. Financial terms and calculations will be explained in a way that makes sense for both financial and non-financial business professionals. Finally, you will also be challenged to apply what you learn in class by analyzing how your work and your decisions are related to the overall performance of the company.

Influencing and Negotiating
American business was designed centuries ago. Women are now fully participating in the workplace, yet only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. By mastering the unwritten rules and learning to negotiate, participants will have the tools to achieve or promote success. This program discusses topics not covered during orientation including how decisions get made and how work really gets done in the office. You will leave with a number of concrete actions you can use immediately.

Leveraging Strengths
This fourth session of the Women’s Business Leadership Certificate program will use the CliftonStrengths Full 34 profile to guide participants to understand their strengths and how to use them effectively to lead others. Participants will also understand how they can identify other people’s strengths and collaborate with them effectively.

Critical Conversations
When we are stuck because we are avoiding a needed conversation, or having the same conversation more often than we want, it is a sign that we are talking but not really conversing. Learning the proven skills that help frame how, when, and what we say can yield amazing results. These tools improve relationships, reduce stress, minimize conflict, improve productivity, and best of all, increase our ability to be effective. This discussion-based program will feature interactive exercises that allow you to gain critical conversation tools such as: identifying roadblocks to managing relationships and conflict, learning to practice and apply specific skills geared toward effectiveness, recognizing and addressing individuals displaying disruptive behavior, focusing on interactions common to the corporate environment.

Effective Decision Making
An organization’s success depends on its ability to make timely and informed decisions. And yet, according to a global McKinsey study from 2019, only 20% of respondents say their organizations excel at decision-making. Participants will explore various ways and methods to make decisions as both an individual and as a leader. Then, the program will focus on how to build a culture of effective decision-making within an organization. Real-world examples and interactive activities will guide discussions and showcase examples of great and not-so-great decision-making skills.

Creativity for Productivity

Designed to harness the power of creativity to enhance productivity in everyday tasks and professional settings. Based on cutting-edge research, this program explores how smart individuals approach creativity and how it can be cultivated in anyone. Participants engage in hands-on activities that challenge them to think outside the box and practice creative problem-solving in real-time. Through these exercises, they learn key creativity principles such as divergent thinking, the importance of taking risks, and the role of collaboration in sparking innovation. By the end of the program, participants will have the tools and mindset to apply these creative principles to boost their productivity and achieve their goals.

Managing Change
There are few guarantees in the workplace today. However, change is one of them. More than ever, organizations and their environments are in a state of flux as processes are streamlined, technologies are upgraded, new products are introduced, and organizations increasingly compete in a global market. In some cases, these changes are planned. In others, they are not. Sometimes the forces for change are internal to the organization, and sometimes they are caused by external conditions. Regardless of why change occurs, employees and organizations need to be competent in dealing with and managing change. Participants will walkway with tools and methodologies of leading through and managing change.

Coaching and Mentoring Others
The workplace has evolved drastically in many industries since the pandemic and the Great Resignation. Now, it is even more important for managers and team leaders to create a positive work environment where people want to belong. Clear communication, strong mentoring, and accurate expectations are needed to develop effective teams both virtually and in person. This session will discuss transparent expectations while addressing each employee’s personal needs. Effective communication will follow, focusing on delivering feedback in healthy and positive ways. Finally, participants will explore aligning individual and team performances to create a cohesive work environment.

Moving Forward as a Leader
This interactive, engaging, and thought-provoking session will help you understand yourself and others in order to build strong, productive relationships as a leader. Not every team member can be managed and developed in the same way, so leaders must understand how to be effective in many different situations, such as meetings and brainstorming sessions. You will learn how to connect better with colleagues and employees whose priorities and preferences differ from yours – saving you time, energy, and money.

Audience

Mid-level manager positions looking to develop the necessary business acumen and leadership skills to advance women to organizational leadership positions.

Outcomes

Participants will walk away with these skills:

  • Utilizing a leadership style that is valuable to themselves, their teams, and their organization
  • Mastering the unwritten rules of work
  • Thinking and behaving strategically
  • Creating conditions for innovators to thrive
  • Communicating with clarity and confidence to achieve leadership goals
  • Practicing in a variety of communication styles that may be used in specific situations
  • Understanding key financial documents, how to interpret them, and knowing why they are important
  • Using the language of finance
  • Effectively negotiate with others
  • Demonstrating how to test for alignment through listening and responding
  • Leveraging the best decision-making tool for maximum impact
  • Mentor team members and direct reports on an individual level
  • Projecting a strong executive presence that builds trust and value in the minds of othe

Venue

Cintas Center
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, 45207 United States + Google Map
Phone
513-745-1094

Business Acumen Certificate

XLC’s Business Acumen Certificate gives you skills to manage with a strategy that is understood and can be implemented at all levels, along with a strong foundation of how business operates, makes money, and sustains profitable growth.

You will learn tools to effectively manage and engage the workforce. You will gain knowledge in planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the activities of an organization in order to satisfy customers’ needs.

Participants must attend 4 of the following one-day programs within the same semester:

Description

Creative Problem Solving:
This highly-interactive, fun, and fast-paced session provides a framework for understanding and applying tools to meet real business needs. You will walk away from this session with increased confidence to generate creative ideas, techniques to recognize/replace unproductive thinking patterns, and a methodology to foster creative potential and innovation.

Effective Decision Making:
In this fast-paced world, a person’s and their team’s effectiveness in getting things done at work depends on decision-making. How a person manages their time, what meetings they go to, and the work their team focuses on are all based on effective decision-making methods. In this one-day program, participants will explore various ways and methods to make decisions as both an individual and as a leader. Then, the program will focus on how to build a culture of effective decision-making within an organization. Real-world examples and interactive activities will guide discussions and showcase examples of great and not-so-great decision-making skills.

Executing Business Strategy:
In this program, you will learn how to define a business strategy and communicate it to peers, supervisors, and reports. Once participants can capture the elements of a strategy, they will explore the strategy’s execution. Creating a cohesive and comprehensive strategic plan will be guided by the OGSM method while also referencing other approaches. Filled with small and large group exercises, case studies, and concrete examples, participants will be able to immediately identify and advance their organization’s strategy.

Finance Essentials for Professionals:
In this one-day program, you will develop an understanding of key financial documents, how to interpret them, and why they are important. Financial terms and calculations will be explained in a way that makes sense for non-financial business professionals. Finally, you will also be challenged to apply what you learn in class by analyzing how your work and your decisions are related to the overall performance of the company.

Navigating Change at All Levels:
Navigating Change at All Levels goes beyond identifying what change is needed, it explores how change affects people and how individuals at any level can contribute to successful outcomes. This program equips participants with practical tools to assess and manage change, understand their role in the change process, and build action plans to overcome challenges and achieve results.

Storytelling with Data:
Data provides the foundation for making smart and appropriate choices in many contexts. However, it is not unusual for managers to be overwhelmed by the amount of available data within their organization and the marketplace. This session focuses on identifying the relevant business objective or question, assessing what data is needed, and understanding the target audience. Then, participants will discover how to utilize the most applicable data to tell a compelling story that positively impacts the right business choices and outcomes. Participants will also explore the interpretation of data and ensure that data is used accurately and completely.

Time Management and Productivity:
This program aims to provide practical tips, tools, and strategies to help individuals approach their use of time wisely and help managers lead their teams more effectively. Oftentimes, procrastination sets in because a certain task seems daunting or emotionally taxing. Participants will explore ways to manage their energy and mindsets to aid in their productivity. Finally, the program will discuss how accountability is created between managers and their teams, among colleagues, and within oneself.

Audience

Professionals at any level who want to increase their business acumen.

Venue

Cintas Center
1624 Musketeer Drive
Cincinnati, 45207 United States + Google Map
Phone
513-745-1094