Leadership Courses for All Roles at Duke
Enhance your skills in leadership with an L&OD course at Duke

“Leadership is not something reserved for a position,” said Joy Birmingham, L&OD associate director. “If we can understand that, we can change Duke across the board.”
Here are several leadership courses offered by L&OD in 2023.
Critical Thinking
“Critical Thinking Skills: Strategies for Improving” was crucial for helping Jimmy Goodwin take on more responsibility as a foreman in the Engineering & Operations Carpentry Shop.
The course, offered next on Aug. 10, helped him learn strategies for how to analyze information, make decisions, and communicate – key skills for his work. Goodwin and nine carpenters make service calls across Duke University Hospital and clinical spaces to repair doors, flooring, and drywall.
“It helps you connect with everyone, and it makes your job easier,” said Goodwin, who joined Duke in 2020.
“The more you learn, the more it can help you communicate with everyone.”
Valuing Differences
Offered on June 22 and Sept. 27, “Valuing Differences” is a new course about nurturing intercultural competence as a framework for leveraging difference in workplace relationships.
Gina Rogers, course instructor and associate director of L&OD, said the course will help participants better understand respect and social identity, key aspects for fostering an inclusive workplace.
“Building upon the knowledge, skills and capacity for myself, improves my self-awareness and better positions me for engaging well with others,” Rogers said.
Managing Multiple Priorities
Staff assistant Jeremy Boomhower works on a small team that supports faculty in the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies.
Last year, he took “Managing Multiple Priorities” because he wanted to hone strategies for time management. The course, offered next on Sept. 19, helped Boomhower realize that he needed a formal to-do list. He installed a whiteboard by his desk, and it helps him set a daily schedule and priorities.
“When I walk in my office, I can look straight at it and scribble down what I need,” he said. “And then I can erase it as I go.”
Professional Development
Review L&OD courses and start your journey: hr.duke.edu/training
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