When researching leadership accreditation, expect to come up against a handful of acronyms, numbers, and lengthy course titles you may not understand at first.
We’ve put this blog post together to offer clarity, and to simplify your research. This jargon buster is designed to help you cut through complexity and get straight to the definition of the words and terms associated with leadership accreditation. While you may not read the entire course from start to finish, it’s our hope that you can refer back to this blog to familiarise yourself with key concepts and be pointed toward resources relevant to each.
Leadership accreditation is a way to formalise management and leadership experience in a framework of recognisable qualifications. Awarding bodies like the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) develop courses that consolidate and present core management concepts, teaching delegates how to understand and incorporate these into their professional toolkit.
By achieving a leadership accreditation, you demonstrate your credentials and improve your professional prospects. Many aspiring managers seek to gain accreditation when looking to progress into a more senior role and represent a route into management for those with no experience.
The leadership accreditation jargon buster
Here are some terms you’ll encounter when researching leadership accreditation. We’ve organised them alphabetically for ease of use, and linked them to supplementary resources where relevant.
Accelerator programme
A fast-tracked, well-structured and intensive programme providing detailed information on core concepts of the topic like boardroom characteristics and creating high performing teams.
Usually taking five days, an accelerator programme aims to distil essential information down into a digestible and practical format. Delegates on accelerator programmes will be able to implement the skills they learn directly in their role.
We offer several accelerator programmes –
- The Directors Development Programme Accelerator
- The Executive Mini MBA Accelerator
- The Advanced Management and Leadership Programme
Bespoke training
Training sessions developed from the ground up to align with the specific needs and challenges of your organisation. At INPD we pride ourselves on offering bespoke, in house training alongside our pre-packaged courses. We believe that tailored content delivers the biggest benefits.
To find out more, enquire now. We’ll talk about your needs and organise an assessment to see whether there’s scope for bespoke training.
CMI
An acronym for The Chartered Management Institute, the Chartered Body is responsible for defining and maintaining management excellence in the UK. Backed by the Royal Charter, the CMI was originally tasked with rebuilding British industry after the war. Their responsibility has now evolved to include defining, teaching and embodying management excellence through courses, thought leadership, and more.
You can find out more about CMI from their official website.
CMI Levels
The CMI issues accreditations on a level system, with Level 2 being the lowest and Level 8 being the highest. Other organisations can issue Levels 2 through 7, but only the CMI grants Level 8 awards.
Each tier targets a different level of management experience, and each clarifies more deeply the relevant concepts. As a top-level summary –
- Levels 2 and 3 target aspiring managers; people in supervisory or line-management roles who want to improve their knowledge of introductory concepts.
- Levels 4 and 5 target mid-level managers, and focus on developing core management skills like information management, resource management, and recruitment.
- Levels 6 and 7 target senior managers looking to climb to the highest levels of management. Delegates at this level are directly responsible for translating organisational strategy into results.
- Level 8 represents the highest level of management expertise. Courses at this level are targeted at C-Suite managers looking to perfect their technique.
Coaching
Coaching is a management style that looks to help an individual to improve their performance. Rather than dictating what should be done and how, an effective coach works with their coachee to achieve a specific goal, personal or professional. The focus is on guidance, questioning techniques, and constructive oversight.
In house training
We can deliver bespoke training sessions in house to give your organisation and its employee’s first-hand tuition.
See Bespoke training for more.
Leadership
Forbes defines leadership as “a process of social influence, which maximises the efforts of others, towards the achievement of a goal.” This definition concisely captures the essence of effective leadership.
By developing leadership skills, people in managerial roles look to improve the performance and effort of those they are managing and to direct their energies toward organisational goals. Influential leaders can successfully guide their teams to achieve their goals.
Leadership accreditation
A leadership accreditation is a formal qualification acknowledging an individual’s leadership abilities. By achieving accreditation in a widely recognised framework, or being awarded by a reputable body like the CMI, you can bolster your employability and professional portfolio.
At INPD we offer a wide range of leadership accreditations. With some of our courses, you have the choice of an accredited or non-accredited qualification.
Management
Indeed.com defines management as “the coordination and administration of tasks to achieve a goal.”
Managers are responsible for individuals and teams below them in an organisational hierarchy and are responsible for delivering results and achieving goals. Managers utilise effective leadership in the pursuit of these goals.
Mentoring
Whereas coaching focuses on the present, mentoring looks to lay foundations for ongoing development according to the desires of the person being mentored. A mentor often leverages their experience and expertise in areas directly relevant to the goals of their mentoree.
Mentoring is a useful tool and a leader’s toolkit, as it fosters a sense of involvement and a feeling of being valued. Where other leadership styles can alienate staff, mentoring helps them to feel involved in their development – often translating to higher levels of performance and retention.
Mini MBA
A Mini MBA is a condensed version of a Masters of Business Administration course. Whereas MBAs usually last a year or more, Mini MBAs can be completed in as little as five days.
Mini MBAs represent a fantastic opportunity for aspiring managers looking to solidify critical concepts without taking an extended break from their careers to study.
Thought leadership
The combined output of an organisation or individual considered to be an expert in a particular area. Thought leadership can take the form of articles, seminars, videos, books, and more. Such content is widely regarded as being high quality, representing real value, and the organisations or individuals publishing it are considered to be authoritative experts in their field.
This section of the CMI website has a great example of thought leadership in management.
Virtual classroom
A virtual classroom is a remote learning option for our courses, available during the coronavirus and beyond. By teaching remotely, we can deliver high-quality learning with fewer logistical considerations, improving efficiency and reducing costs.
See our courses page for information on which courses can be delivered in a virtual classroom format.
To conclude…
There’s a lot of jargon floating around in the leadership accreditation and professional development space, but by familiarising yourself with the key concepts, you can maximise personal and business benefits from a minimum investment.
Whether you’re looking to develop your leadership skills, progress to a more senior management role, or organise training for a team in your workplace, In Professional Development can help. We’ve built our business on delivering high-quality training at the forefront of current management theory and best practices.
We pride ourselves on flexible delivery and bespoke course content. We understand that getting training precisely right for the needs and challenges of your organisation is vital in delivering value.
