In 2016 the City of Gold Coast (CoGC) signed an agreement with Griffith Business School for the School to deliver a leadership development program to a cohort of their middle and senior managers. The Graduate Certificate of Leadership and Management is a four-course postgraduate program covering the topics of leading self, leading teams, developing organisational creativity and managing organisational transformation. Facilitated by academic staff and practitioners from Griffith Business School’s Department of Business Strategy and Innovation (BSI) each of the four courses are delivered via five-day intensive workshops and three assessment pieces, one of which is an organisation-centred group project relating to an identified challenge or opportunity within the CoGC.
The first cohort completed the program and graduated in the Griffith University round of graduations held in December 2018. Their graduation was further celebrated internally with a function organised by the Learning & Development unit within the People and Culture Branch who are the internal CoGC sponsors of the program (the graduating cohort are pictured here at that celebration). A feature of the program is that it provides credit towards the Griffith MBA program. Participants successfully completing the leadership program are potentially eligible for credit of four courses, leaving only a further eight courses to complete the MBA. Four participants from the 2018 graduating cohort have already enrolled in the MBA, with two of them receiving scholarships in the annual Queensland Business Monthly (QBM) Griffith MBA Responsible Leadership Scholarship competition.
The cohort spoke incredibly favourably about the value of the program, with many stating it opened their eyes to the possibilities provided through postgraduate study. Other remarked how it was life-changing in terms of leadership learning. Organisations interested in learning more about this program can contact Professor Brad Jackson for information.
