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About the Niagara Institute

Growing Leaders
The Niagara Institute is a private, not-for-profit foundation established in 1971 to enhance the quality of Canadian leadership-in business, government and non-governmental organizations. The institute’s programs are highly concentrated, engaging and student-focused-attracting leaders from across Canada and around the world.

For more than 30 years, we have been developing leaders throughout Canada and from around the world. We equip leaders with the essential leadership competencies needed to achieve organizational results. Each year, thousands of executives from hundreds of organizations turn to Niagara programs for their leadership development.

More than half of the top 100 companies named by the Financial Post are Niagara Institute clients; and 20 of the top 25 are our clients.

In 1994, the Institute became part of The Conference Board of Canada, the country’s largest independent, not-for-profit research institution. The resulting synergy has benefited the Institute, the Board and their respective clients.

Research undertaken by the Board helps to enrich the Institute’s program offerings. In turn, the ongoing work of the Institute helps to identify new issues and new opportunities for the Board’s applied research expertise.

It’s a powerful partnership, one that’s transforming Canadian leaders and Canadian organizations.

Identifying Issues, Finding Solutions
Effective leaders are people who understand themselves and their relationships with others. They’re people of vision, who can communicate that vision-within organizations, across cultures and in the public forum. They’re people who have a firm grasp of the issues, who know how to work toward consensus, find solutions, transform and renew their organizations.

Programs at The Niagara Institute are designed to help leaders identify, understand and address the issues of our time. Increasingly, leadership means dealing effectively with diversity. This is particularly true in Canada where changing demographics and the globalization of Canadian business are bringing us in touch with people whose backgrounds and cultures are different from our own.

At The Niagara Institute, you’ll learn how to look at complex issues from many perspectives. You’ll learn how to manage diversity effectively, how to build and lead teams, how to become an agent of change.

The Institute’s regularly scheduled public programs typically involve 15 to 24 participants meeting over a period of two to five days. While most participants are drawn from management, they represent a wide range of backgrounds and organizational experience. Feedback, psychometric instruments, simulations and group work provide a rich learning environment and the kind of practical knowledge you’ll be able to apply to the workplace.

The Landmark Leadership Program™

The Landmark Leadership Program™ is the foremost contemporary and comprehensive program available for today’s visionary leaders. The program includes powerful modules on-site at The Niagara Institute, linked by inter-session action-learning in the workplace and integrated coaching and peer support, providing you with a leadership development investment that will return life-long personal and professional value.

This dynamic program builds an in-depth awareness of the personal characteristics and preferences that leaders bring to their role. The integrated action-learning component actively takes this newly developed awareness and supports participants in their work to achieve their leadership goals within their workplace. Niagara Institute Executive Coaches work closely with leaders throughout the program, supporting and reinforcing the use of new leadership behaviours in their organizations and how these skills might be integrated in all other areas of their lives.

This program involves a highly committed four-month engagement with a continued community of learning for up to two years. A maximum of twenty leaders will be accepted into this exclusive program.

High Impact Program Features
The Landmark Leadership Program™ provides a highly integrated, practical and expert supported learning process with the opportunity to apply and practice skills over time, in ‘real-life’ leadership situations.
The program combines elements that provide a unique and sustainable learning experience.

• Two leading edge, comprehensive 360-degree assessments focusing on contemporary leadership competencies related to leadership success in a changing, fast-paced, diverse organizational environment.
• Dynamic learning modules devoted to today’s leadership challenges – virtual and distance teamwork, managing multi-generational diversity, emotional intelligence and leadership resilience.
• A 12-week inter-session action-learning component reinforcing application of skills and providing a focused, sustainable learning experience.
• Eleven hours of professional coaching support, before the program begins, continuing through the first module, inter-session action-learning and post-program.
• Exclusive access to a resource platform accessing personal coaching support, your program peer groups and leadership tools and resources for leadership success.
• Engagement of a key sponsor within your organization who will provide you with the critical foundation of support and ongoing guidance.

Who Should Attend
If you are an organization leader and are looking for a comprehensive leadership program that will prepare you for every leadership challenge, then this program is for you. To maximize your program experience, you should be in a leadership role with, at minimum, responsibility for a department or function.

Program Fee: $9,900, plus HST.
Fee includes all meals and refreshments across two modules.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

• Module One: October 17-20, 2011
• Inter-session: October, 2011 – January 2012
• Module Two: January 30 – February 1, 2012

• Module One: February 27 – March 1, 2012
• Inter-session: March-May
• Module Two: May 28 – 30, 2012

• Module One: April 16-18, 2012
• Inter-session: April-July 2012
• Module Two: July 16-18, 2012

If registering through the Niagara Institute website at http://www.niagarainstitute.com/schedule.htm, please insert the code CMA in the comments box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure that you receive preferred pricing. Alternatively, if registering by telephone, please call 1-800-663-7305 and let the Registrar know of your CMA membership.

Executive Leadership Program

By admission only for senior executives, The Executive Leadership Program addresses the unique challenges and opportunities that exist in the top tiers of organizations.

The program addresses three areas critical to executive leadership:

• achieving peak performance from yourself and others;
• developing a high-performance leadership team and organizational culture; and
• developing strategic alliances outside and within the organization.

The Executive Leadership Program is about fundamental change, purposeful action and the ability to make a significant and lasting contribution.

Who Should Attend
It is important that executives have the opportunity to network and discuss senior-level issues with others executives with similar challenges. For this reason, participation in the Executive Leadership Program is by admission only. Participants must have at least five years experience in a senior-level leadership role, have the capability to shape organizational culture, be no more than two reporting levels from the CEO and be a functional lead of a defined area, such as sales, finance or operations.

Program Outcomes

• Gain clarity concerning your leadership style and its impact on others in the executive team and the organization at large
• Identify challenges in your current situation, determining how well your own skills and competencies ‘fit’, and develop strategies to bridge any gaps
• Learn to better mobilize others to meet challenges
• Develop skills to build coalitions and strategic alliances within and external to your organization;
• Improve your ability to get the right team together to achieve peak performance
• Develop an agenda around enhancing your effectiveness and getting the support you need to succeed

Key Program Features
The ELP offers special elements to provide an experience tailored to executive learning needs:

• Expert counsel from a Niagara Executive Coach before, during and after the Executive Leadership Program
  • Pre-program interviews with yourself and up to three of your key colleagues, a half-day of coaching during the program and ongoing coaching after the program
• An opportunity to work with senior executives from other organizations sharing experiences, ideas and approaches in a safe, comfortable and confidential environment
• Personal feedback and candid conversation that is normally unavailable to senior executives
• Understanding and dialogue about the challenges of working multiple stakeholder environments to achieve results by influencing without authority

The Executive Leadership Program is held at the White Oaks Conference Resort in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The program includes five night’s accommodation, all meals and refreshments during your attendance.

Program Fee: $13,975, plus HST. Preferred pricing for CMA Members, $13,275 plus HST.

September 19-23, 2011 & May 7-11, 2012 / Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
If registering through the Niagara Institute website at http://www.niagarainstitute.com/schedule.htm, please insert the code CMA in the comments box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure that you receive preferred pricing. Alternatively, if registering by telephone, please call 1-800-663-7305 and let the Registrar know of your CMA membership.

Leadership Development Program (LDP)®

Since its inception over 30 years ago, the Leadership Development Program (LDP)® has provided meaningful insights and developmental guidance to senior leaders.

LDP has always provided leaders with the opportunity to learn, engage, reflect and practice new behaviours. The latest edition is consistent with this proven high-impact format. Overall, it offers an even stronger developmental focus and provides both you and your organization with an enhanced return on investment.

Most leaders judge themselves based on their intentions. Others, however, judge leaders based on their impact. LDP bridges the gap from intention to impact. The program is based on the Intent-Behaviour- Impact model and helps you answer the question, “Who do I want to be as a leader?”

The most effective leaders are those who are highly self-aware and who understand the impact of their behaviours on others. True to this, LDP is rich in personal feedback, gleaned from assessment tools, program facilitators, your executive coach and other participants. This fundamental understanding of self will establish the basis for substantive and ongoing development of your leadership skills.

Across the five-day program, you will gain a sound awareness and understanding of current leadership competencies, including the following:

• leveraging differences
• understanding ethics and culture
• valuing diversity
• being adaptable
• leading change
• fostering global awareness.

Each day of learning is carefully constructed and integrated into the next program day to deliver an unparalleled learning experience. The program is highly intentional and the integrated modular design helps you think about yourself in a developmental way and plan your leadership development.

Throughout the program, you also gain insights and understanding through a variety of team-based simulations—simulations that challenge your current thinking and encourage you to apply your leadership competencies.

If you, like other top leaders, share the perspective that learning is a process and not an event, the LDP is your unique and unmatched opportunity for personal insight, reflection and development.

Program Fee (Held until May 2010): $8,855, plus HST. Preferred pricing for CMA Members, $8,500 plus HST.
Fee includes meals and refreshments with the exception of Wednesday evening dinner. Accommodation is at an additional cost.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

• September 12-16, 2011
• October 3-7, 2011
• November 21-25, 2011
• February 6-10, 2012
• March 19-23, 2012
• April 30-May 4, 2012

If registering through the Niagara Institute website at http://www.niagarainstitute.com/schedule.htm, please insert the code CMA in the comments box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure that you receive preferred pricing. Alternatively, if registering by telephone, please call 1-800-663-7305 and let the Registrar know of your CMA membership.

Building Leadership Essentials

This new three-day program is designed to help you expand your leadership capabilities by understanding how to build your versatility as a leader.

The program focuses on three areas critical to leadership:

• Understanding the nature of leadership and the link between versatility and effectiveness
• Enhancing awareness of your own leadership preferences and style, and the impact these have on others
• Building essential leadership skills for being more versatile in response to the challenges in today’s organizations

In this highly interactive program, you will be both supported and challenged as you work together with Niagara Institute facilitators, executive coaches, and other participants.

Who Should Attend
Building Leadership Essentials is for first-line through middle management, and for individual professionals who are leaders whether or not they have direct reports.

Program Outcomes

• Understanding of the nature of leadership in today’s organizations – leading with versatility and balance.
• Knowledge of well-founded leadership concepts and how they apply to your own environment.
• Expanded awareness of your own approach to leadership and the impact it has on others. An identification of which skills and strengths you might be over-utilizing, and which skills you might want to develop.
• Enhanced ability to read a situation in order to be more versatile in your use of essential leadership skills.
• Familiarity with a breadth of leadership skills and behaviours that are essential for achieving results with and through others:
  • Leading change
  • Building performance by giving others the leadership guidance they need
  • Communicating with and influencing others
  • Involving others appropriately in decision-making
  • Working within, and leading, teams effectively
• Practical and achievable goals set with the support of a Niagara Executive Coach

Key Program Features

• Feedback instruments that provide a detailed perspective on your leadership preferences and style, including 360-degree feedback that provides perspective on the impact of your preferences and style on others.
• Focused exercises and small group simulations for experiential learning and application.
• Goal-setting in small peer learning groups facilitated by a Niagara Executive Coach.

Fees for Programs in Niagara-on-the-Lake $4,500, plus HST. Preferred pricing for CMA Members, $4,275 plus HST.
Fee includes all meals and refreshments. Accommodation is at an additional cost.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

• September 27-30, 2011
• November 29 – December 2, 2011
• February 21-24, 2012
• April 24-27, 2012



Ottawa, ON

• October 18-20, 2011
• March 20-22, 2012

If registering through the Niagara Institute website at http://www.niagarainstitute.com/schedule.htm, please insert the code CMA in the comments box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure that you receive preferred pricing. Alternatively, if registering by telephone, please call 1-800-663-7305 and let the Registrar know of your CMA membership.

Communication for the Senior Leader®

Communication for the Senior Leader® will show you how to take your listeners to new heights of conviction and belief, whether you’re delivering a formal speech, giving a presentation, talking informally with a few colleagues or handling Q&As.

This seminar, drawing upon The Humphrey Group’s work with CEOs and executives, provides a comprehensive program for senior leaders. The course will show you how to develop the mindset required to influence others, find your authentic leadership style, translate your vision into key messages, and communicate as an inspirational leader who engages, influences, and inspires. The program examines the types of messages that senior leaders need to deliver, the language that best conveys motivational ideas, and the delivery style that inspires others. This program will show you the power to achieve true personal “charisma” on any stage.

Who Should Attend
This program is for leaders at the director level or above who want to be influential and inspirational, and who would like to develop the strong communication skills required of successful executives.

Program Outcomes
The ability to:

• Understand your mission as a motivational communicator
• Shift your mindset from “expert” to “inspirational leader”
• Craft messages that motivate others
• Master 5 models of persuasion.
• Move others to action mentally, emotionally and physically
• Use the language of inspirational leadership
• Identify opportunities to inspire and motivate
• Know how great leaders such as Winston Churchill have inspired listeners
• Develop your own authentic leadership style
• Master a powerful Q&A strategy
• Achieve consistency….a great performance every time you speak.

Key Program Features

• Individual videotaped feedback on your strengths and weaknesses when delivering a presentation
• Opportunities to practice several methods of communication in small group exercises
• Analysis of “the greats” in the corporate world and government.
• The chance to integrate everything you’ve learned, so that your head, heart and body are fully engaged
• Time with a professional actor….to achieve stage presence.

Communication for the Senior Leader® is a registered trademark of The Humphrey Group Inc

Program Fee: $3,750, plus HST. Preferred pricing for CMA Members, $3,550 plus GST.
Fee includes all meals and refreshments. Accommodation is at an additional cost.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

• September 28-30, 2011
• March 21-23, 2012

If registering through the Niagara Institute website at http://www.niagarainstitute.com/schedule.htm, please insert the code CMA in the comments box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure that you receive preferred pricing. Alternatively, if registering by telephone, please call 1-800-663-7305 and let the Registrar know of your CMA membership.

Influencing Skills for Leaders

Influencing Skills for Leaders equips you with the necessary skills to affect different outcomes with effective communication.

This three-day program gives you the skills and confidence you need to confront, develop and influence peers, associates, managers, customers and direct reports to produce exceptional results with consistency and excellence.

Who Should Attend
If you would like to improve your skills in confronting difficult situations and people, influencing others over whom you have no authority, clarifying and communicating expectations, or developing and supporting excellence in others then this program is for you. You do not need to have direct reports to benefit from this program.

Program Outcomes

• More skillfully conduct a difficult conversation
• Use valuable insights into your own preferred ways of thinking and responding, and knowledge of others’ to increase the likelihood of a successful, shared outcome
• Demonstrate more effective skills for active listening and identification of common interests to reach agreement
• Achieve commitment and buy-in vs. compliance from others at all levels of the organization
• Achieve results through others and strengthen the relationship

Key Program Features

• Comprehensive individual feedback based upon the perspective of those with whom you work. Insights are provided on your current strengths and challenges in performing coaching and influencing functions
• Videotaped coaching exercises with peer and coach reviews and feedback
• Write and practice your own coaching vignettes using current situations from your workplace

Program Fee: $4,000, plus HST. Preferred pricing for CMA Members, $3,800 plus HST.
Fee includes all meals and refreshments. Accommodation is at an additional cost.

Toronto, ON

• November 16-18, 2011

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

• February 15-17, 2012
• May 16-18, 2012

If registering through the Niagara Institute website at http://www.niagarainstitute.com/schedule.htm, please insert the code CMA in the comments box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure that you receive preferred pricing. Alternatively, if registering by telephone, please call 1-800-663-7305 and let the Registrar know of your CMA membership.

Speaking as a Leader®

Speaking as a Leader® will show you how to focus your thinking into clear, convincing messages that reach your audience and persuade them to act upon your ideas. It will transform you into an influential leader.

Speaking as a Leader will make you an effective communicator in all situations, from company meetings to phone calls, and from presentations to brief one-on-one conversations. You will learn to translate your managerial knowledge or professional expertise into clear, well-supported messages that bring your ideas to life for your audience. You will learn how to use language that is conversational and accessible to your audience. And you will discover how to use visuals that aid rather than upstage you. Finally, you will develop a strong leadership presence through eye contact, pacing, body language and voice.

Participants in this seminar will learn to speak so that others are influenced by their ideas and eager to act on them. Through practice, guidance and feedback, you will discover ways to deliver your message confidently.

Who Should Attend
This program is designed for managers and professionals who want to communicate as leaders.

Program Outcomes
The ability to:

• “Read” your audience and align your talk to their interests
• Apply a leadership model to create your message
• Develop a logical structure to drive home your points
• Create visuals that complement your message
• Shun jargon and use language that reaches others
• Project leadership through eye contact, pacing, voice, expression, body language and tone
• Get your message across in several environments, such as formal and informal settings, and planned and impromptu events
• Master the “elevator” conversation
• Deliver focused, incisive answers
• Create and deliver a message with maximum impact

Key Program Features

• Opportunities to practice several methods of communication in small group exercises
• Individual feedback on your strengths and weaknesses when delivering a presentation

Speaking as a Leader® is a registered trademark of The Humphrey Group Inc

Fees for Programs in Niagara-on-the-Lake: $3,250, plus HST. Preferred pricing for CMA Members, $3,050 plus HST.
Fee includes all meals and refreshments. Accommodation is at an additional cost.

Calgary, AB

• September 15-16, 2011



Ottawa, ON

• September 20-21, 2011

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

• November 28-29, 2011
• January 25-26, 2012
• May 9-10, 2012

If registering through the Niagara Institute website at http://www.niagarainstitute.com/schedule.htm, please insert the code CMA in the comments box at the bottom of the registration form to ensure that you receive preferred pricing. Alternatively, if registering by telephone, please call 1-800-663-7305 and let the Registrar know of your CMA membership.