Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership Development

Purpose

International and local research demonstrates that leadership is the primary differentiator which drives sustainable high performance at individual, team, organisational and societal levels. Existing academic programmes tend to focus on the technocratic and managerial elements of organisational performance and pay less attention to the leadership aspects which enhance performance and make it sustainable. This qualification addresses leadership at four levels, namely Personal, Team, Organisational and Societal. The qualification further enables individuals and teams to identify their strengths and needs and how to enhance and optimise the strengths and growth of others.

Rationale

South Africa is entering into the complex arena of building democracy and market based economic dispensations and it requires a significant shift in the leadership values and practices that underpinned earlier authoritarian and centrist states. The leadership shift needs to enable leaders to cope with the demands of increasingly competitive, globalised and multi-cultural environments.

This qualification develops the practical competencies that are required to align leadership to the challenges of transformation. It is important for people in leadership positions to develop the spectrum of competencies (skills, knowledge and attitudes) which are needed to be able to optimise the use of human resources.

Recognised relevant experience in supervision and/or management is recommended.

Recognition of Prior Learning

• Candidates who do not meet the minimum requirement for admission can be admitted on the basis of a portfolio of recognised comparable competencies.
• The qualification can be obtained in part through Recognition of Prior Learning.

Access to the Qualification

A relevant Bachelors Degree in a cognate discipline.

The qualification is made up of six compulsory modules and one optional module as follows

Compulsory modules

• Interpersonal/Team Leadership: High Impact Leadership and Teaming, 12 credits.
• Transformation and Competitiveness-Beyond the Mechanics of BBBEE, 12 credits.
• Role of Business in Society, 12 credits.
• High Performance Personal Authentic Leadership, 18 credits.
• Strategy as the Art of Execution, 18 credits.
• High Performance Organisational Leadership, Leading the High Performance Organisational Culture, 18 credits.

Optional modules (choose one)

• Negotiation and Change Leadership, 30 credits.
• Process Oriented Leadership and System Dynamic of Transformation, 30 credits.
• Leaders Coaching Leaders, 30 credits.

Total: 120 credits.

On completion of this qualification the learners will be able to

• Identify the internal and external interdependencies which together weave the webs of relationships and interactions that have to be influenced and optimised to achieve optimum sustainable delivery and competitiveness.
• Understand and apply high performance leadership and transformation across the four dimensions defined as personal, interpersonal/team, organisational and societal levels.
• Assess the status of leadership at personal, interpersonal and organisational levels and analyse the status of societal challenges.
• Define how to optimise leadership influence across boundaries and silos within organisations in ways that optimise performance and service delivery.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

All Critical Cross-Field Outcomes are addressed in the qualification.

The following assessment criteria are applied in an integrated way to assess the Exit Level Outcomes

• Enhance the positive impact of interpersonal and team leadership through the involvement of team members, peers and stakeholders.
• Design and execute organisational practices that entrench high performance leadership across all levels of a system.
• Understand how to drive the transformation of leadership and values to entrench positive and sustainable leadership as the primary organising principle for leadership across all four dimensions.
• Assess the role of the organisation in the broader society in areas of:

> Governance.

> Sustainable environments.

> Private - public partnerships.

> Contribution to societal transformation.

> Developing and executing an effective BBBEE strategy.

Integrated Assessment

Student progress is monitored by means of a continuous assessment process.

Formative Assessment

• One or more class tests for each module.
• Peer and facilitator reviewed role-plays.

Summative Assessment

• Presentation of Leadership Council/Syndicate projects at blocks.
• One or more written assignments for each module.
• Integrated case study.
• Reflective essays and critical event reviews (summative).
• Integrative personal journals that cover a combination of mandatory and open-ended subject matter related to the overall programme and the four dimensions of leadership.