Leadership Development
The Lamar University Leadership Development program is a dynamic business partnership program designed to equip current and emerging leaders with the mindset, skills, and tools needed to lead effectively through constant change.
At the core of this experience is Lamar University's Leadership Coaching Certificate, an 18-hour foundational program that prepares participants to become impactful, future-ready leaders. Grounded in the proven coaching principles of FranklinCovey®, the program blends timeless leadership disciplines — such as effective questioning, active listening, and accountability — with modern strategies powered by artificial intelligence.
Program Structure
Lamar University, in partnership with FranklinCovey®, offers the Lamar Leadership Coaching Certificate as an 18-credit-hour, cohort-based program completed over three years through three sequential microcredentials:
MC-I: Personal Leadership
MC-II: Winning Culture
MC-III: Strategic Execution
A fourth, standalone microcredential — MC-IV+: Personal Effectiveness — may be taken at any time, whether during the certificate, immediately after, or years later. Combined with the base certificate, it forms the 24-credit-hour Peak Performance Coaching Certificate, giving participants the opportunity to earn multiple FranklinCovey® certifications across all four essential leadership domains. Each domain introduces key competencies that are carefully structured to address the real challenges leaders face today.
- MC-I Personal Leadership
Build the personal foundation of every effective leader - self-awareness, empathetic communication, and the confidence to lead through disruptive change Module
Topics / Content
Recommended Book
Resilient Leadership: Building Personal and Team Strength
- Living with Purpose and Intentionality
- Communicating and Listening Empathically
- AI-Powered Feedback Loops
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey
Coaching Skills for Today's Leaders
- Team Vision and Strategy Alignment
- AI-Assisted Coaching Preparation
- Holding Effective 1-on-1 Conversations
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni
Leading Through Change
- Leading Yourself and Others Through Change
- Guiding Technology Adoption via Change Management
- Ethical Leadership and Innovation Mindset
Change: How to Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity - Bateman, et al
Learning Outcomes:
- Lead with self-awareness, purpose, and proactive communication
- Coach team members using structured 1-on-1 frameworks
- Navigate AI adoption and disruptive change with confidence
- Apply ethical judgment to emerging tools and technology decisions
FranklinCovey® Digital Content:
- 7 Habits Signature Edition - FranklinCovey®
- 4 Essential Roles of Effective Leaders- FranklinCovey®
- Find Out Why: The Key to Successful Innovation - FranklinCovey®
- MC-II Winning Culture
Develop the interpersonal skills that turn groups into high-performing teams - trust, collaboration, creative problem-solving, and risk mitigation Module
Topics / Content
Recommended Book
Collaboration: AI and Human Innovation Strategies
- Team Engagement and Development Strategies
- Building Resilience Through Coaching and Feedback
- Digital Platforms and Virtual Teaming
Everyone Deserves a Great Manager - Miller, Davis, et al Trust and Integrity: Conflict Resolution
- Building Credibility and Establishing High Trust
- Resolving Conflict and Fostering Team Loyalty
- AI-Facilitated Feedback and Recognition
The Speed of Trust - Stephen M.R. Covey HR Leadership: Driving Innovation
- Principle Centered Leadership, Ethics, and Risk Mitigation
- Bias Awareness and Analytical Thinking
- AI as Creative Partner - Prompting for Innovation
The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias - Fuller, Murphy, et al Learning Outcomes:
- Build and sustain high-trust relationships across a diverse team
- Navigate conflict productively and turn it into team growth
- Lead collaborative innovation using digital creative tools
- Recognize and actively counter bias in leadership decisions to help mitigate risk
FranklinCovey® Digital Content:
- Leading at the Speed of Trust facilitated module- FranklinCovey®
- Unconscious Bias interactive course - FranklinCovey®
- Six Critical Practices for Managing Teams - FranklinCovey®
- MC-III Strategic Execution
Translate strategy into measurable results - using AI-augmented project management, disciplined execution, and principled negotiation to lead at the highest level Module
Topics / Content
Recommended Book
Project Leadership and Communication: AI Tools
- Defining Scope and Developing Work Breakdown
- Planning, Stakeholder Engagement and Risk
- Tracking Progress, Adaptation and Data Driven Forecasting
Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager - Kogon, Blakemore and Schnaubelt Execution and Accountability: Driving Strategy Through Behavior Change
- Acting on Breakthrough Performance Metrics (WIGs)
- Maintaining a Rhythm of Accountability
- Building Scoreboards That Drive Team Accountability
The 4 Disciplines of Execution - Covey, McChesney, Huling et al Mastering Influence: Leadership and Negotiation
- Getting to Yes - Interest-Based Negotiation
- Conflict Resolution Styles in Complex Environments
- Leadership Virtures and Principled Influence
Getting to Yes - Fisher, Ury and Patton
Learning Outcomes:
- Execute organizational strategy using the 4 Disciplines framework
- Lead technology enabled project teams with clear accountability structures
- Negotiate complex agreements using interest-based principled techniques
- Design contemporary performance systems that keep human leadership central
FranklinCovey® Digital Content:
- 4 Disciplines of Execution facilitated program - FranklinCovey®
- Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager - FranklinCovey®
- Customer Loyalty Huddles - FranklinCovey®
- MC-IV Personal Effectiveness (Standalone MC)
Available as a standalone microcredential open to any professional, or as the add-on that completes the 24 SCH Peak Performance Coaching Certificate when combined with the Lamar Leadership Coaching Certificate - deepening the personal foundation: emotional intelligence, time management, and applied financial literacy Module
Topics / Content
Recommended Book
Emotional Intelligence: Self-Awareness in the Age of AI
- Self-Awareness and Personal Regulation
- Social Awareness and Empathy
- Multiplying Intelligence in Others
Multipliers - Liz Wiseman Productivity: Time Management with AI Support
- Prioritizing and AI-Assisted Decision Making
- Organization, Focus and Deep Work
- Technology Management and Efficiency Tracking
The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity - Kogan, Merrill and Rinne Applied Financial Literacy: What are the Numbers Telling You?
- Navigating Financial Statements to Create a Budget and Manage Cash Flow
- Saving and Investing for Long-Term Financial Resilience
- Managing Debt, Credit and Financial Risk
What Every CEO Wants You To Know - Ram Charan
Learning Outcomes:
- Apply emotional intelligence to build self-awareness and social effectiveness
- Design a personalized AI productivity system for deep, focused work
- Navigate financials and make sound financial decisions with long-term strategic perspective
- Identify where AI amplifies human capability and where humans must lead
FranklinCovey® Digital Content:
- The 5 Choices facilitated workshop - FranklinCovey®
- Multipliers - FranklinCovey®
- Business Fundamentals - FranklinCovey®
Curriculum Design
Each microcredential is organized into three modules (courses), and every module follows an identical eight-week delivery cadence:-
Two intensive live training sessions (in-person)
-
Self-paced weeks that alternate between a Snapshot self-assessment, an asynchronous peer Discussion Card exchange, and a cohort-wide Leadership Coaching Corner
Human-Centered, AI Powered
A defining feature of the curriculum is its Integrated Augmented Learning thread: every module pairs its leadership content with a specific practice using AI or other digital tools — from sentiment analysis and AI-assisted coaching preparation to smart project-management tools and financial modeling — while explicitly training participants to judge where human leadership must remain central.
Participants will experience how to:
- Leverage AI-driven tools
- Gather performance insights
- Keep current with adaptive learning platforms using real-life leadership experiences with athletics, coaches, and Lamar University faculty
Credit That Counts Toward a Degree
Credit earned is transferable to the Lamar University Bachelor of Science in Leadership Studies. Transfer is available at 12, 18, or 24 credit hours, so participants are not required to complete the full program before their coursework counts toward a degree.
Who It's For
Whether you are an HR professional, a learning and development specialist, or a leader preparing for greater responsibility, the Department of Leadership Studies at Lamar University would like to become your trusted leadership development partner.