The Course

In 2023, only 40% of people reported that their company had high-quality leaders.

In other words, there’s a leadership gap - and AAR’s No Bullsh*t Leadership course is seeking to close it. AAR has delivered training programmes for almost 20 years, witnessing first-hand the transformational power that unlocking people’s potential can have on organisations and individuals.

This new online course is the antithesis of traditional leadership coaching. Offering participants total flexibility, it will make dynamic leaders out of people determined to make change happen.

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1

The Problem and the Solution

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The career changing and life changing power of effective leadership. An introduction to leaders and leadership, who they are and who they aren’t; how it’s done, and how it isn’t.

  • Leadership isn’t a job title.
  • Most of what you’re told (and sold) about leadership is just snake-oil. It’s bullsh*t.
  • Learning to lead is the key to personal and professional success (and perhaps even happiness!).
  • There is no leadership type.

Guest speaker: Harpreet Kaur, Founder/CEO at OhSoYum and winner of The Apprentice

2

The Leader’s Journey

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Leadership is difficult, but not complicated. By liberating leaders from the bullsh*t that surrounds the subject, we begin to understand the fundamental building blocks of effective leadership.

  • The power of uncomplicated solutions.
  • Clear objectives are more useful than mission statements.
  • Honesty: the prelude to understanding and action.
  • Being unreasonably ambitious: why aiming to be the ‘best’ is so powerful.

Guest speaker: Akua Agyemfra, cultural strategist working for Stormzy, Wretch32 and Spotify

3

The Leadership Equation

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Revealing the two most important words a leader must remember, and the relationship between them as expressed in the ‘leadership equation’.

  • Clarity and action.
  • The ‘leadership equation’ and the art of getting stuff done.
  • Leadership is difficult but not complicated.
  • Strategy is nothing without the courage to implement it.

Guest speaker: Timothy Armoo, Founder & CEO at FanBytes

4

To Decide is to Act

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Great leaders are effective decision makers, yet many in leadership positions are not. Taking decisions is how you build confidence, take control and get things done.

  • Deciding to decide.
  • The 40/70 rule.
  • Nimbleness, agility and de-centralised decision-making.
  • The inevitability of error.
  • The power of checklists.
  • The joy of great meetings.

Guest speaker: Nicola McQueen, CEO at NHS Professionals

5

Culture: The Leader’s Superpower

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Culture is the environment the leader creates in order for their teams to out-perform. In all organisations the culture is the defining experience of those within it, yet many leaders are ignorant about what it is and how to change it.

  • Understanding culture.
  • What’s the real culture in your organisation?
  • Why corporate values are often useless.
  • What culture do you want?
  • Parent-child cultures always under-perform.
  • Culture is the behaviour of the leader(s).

Guest speaker: Victoria Fox, CEO at AAR Group

6

Creating Culture

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Culture is not soft and delicate; it sets like concrete. You must take hard physical action to change it and be continually vigilant to maintain its potency.

  • Smashing the concrete.
  • Defining and sustaining the right behaviours.
  • Physical actions and totems.
  • Holding yourself to account.
  • Culture is as strong as its weakest link.
  • A never ending story.

Guest speaker: Daryl Fielding, NED

7

Being Followed

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Attracting, retaining and inspiring the best people: along with building an effective culture, there is no more important task than this.

  • We’re all in the talent acquisition business.
  • Being great for the careers of others.
  • A great team is an alignment of great individuals.
  • Diverse teams win.
  • Being a great team member (and dealing with those who are not).
  • The power of difficult (and easy) conversations.

Guest speaker: Paul Tisdale, professional football manager

8

Leading Yourself

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Leadership demands an abundance of energy and resilience. Recognising and managing this is essential to leadership longevity. Remaining a successful leader requires that you have ‘you’ on your to-do list.

  • Prioritising your mental and physical health.
  • Taking control to reduce your stress.
  • Disconnecting emotions from events.
  • The unexpected power of vulnerability and self-doubt.
  • Teamship Rules.

Guest speaker: Claire Hilton, global brand director at Virgin

Course Format

On demand learning

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The course modules will be available in batches meaning you can study in your own time and at a pace that suits you and your schedule.

Leading, your way

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You will gain the confidence and the skills required to develop a style of leadership that is entirely your own.

Expert feedback

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Throughout the course there will be a number of assignments set, which you will receive direct tutor feedback for.

Self-care

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A key tenet of No Bullsh*t Leadership is the importance of leaders looking after their own physical and mental health - and you’ll learn strategies to ensure you are always able to perform at your best.

Next cohort starts: April 2024

Stay informed.