Professional Management and Leadership Practice

An outstanding professional manager and leader is typified by someone who has the ability to select and apply knowledge, skills, values and behaviours effectively in their working role. Whilst many of these attributes can be developed through experiential learning, these can be sharpened and amplified through an in-depth exploration of the topic.

The aim of this unit is to enable you to consider the influence of your organisation’s context on how individuals are managed and led. You will reflect on the values, behaviours, knowledge and skills required, not only to deliver successful organisational outcomes, but to lead individuals with confidence.

Innovation and Change

The ability to drive innovation and change is an essential skill for a professional manager and leader. Innovation, defined simply as ‘doing something new or different,’ is a powerful catalyst for change.

It can revolutionise an organisation’s operational activities, create dynamic new opportunities, and contribute to the achievement of strategic goals. Change occurs in many forms and leaders must be able to respond to changes which are radical, incremental or evolutionary.

This unit has been designed to enable you to understand innovation and change within organisational contexts. It explores the rationale for innovation and change, such as the impact of technology and digitalisation. Most importantly it focuses on the knowledge, values and behaviours that ultimately will equip you to successfully drive innovation and change.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course, you will;

• Understand the influence of organisational context on management and leadership practice
• Understand the practice of professional management and leadership
• Understand innovation and change within an organisational context
• Know how to drive innovation and change

Assessment Criteria

You will be required to meet the following criteria as part of the assessment process;

• Discuss the influence of organisational context on management and leadership practice with reference to theoretical concepts and contemporary thinking
• Critically reflect on values and behaviours which underpin professional management and leadership practice
• Discuss the knowledge and skills required for a professional manager and leader to deliver successful outcomes for an organisation
• Critically appraise the use of communication to lead others with impact
• Explore the rationale for innovation and change within an organisational context
• Investigate the leadership and management approaches, behaviours and values required to drive innovation and change
• Critically appraise approaches to change with reference to traditional and contemporary thinking
• Critically appraise approaches to innovation with reference to theoretical concepts
• Research and evaluate an opportunity for innovation and change
• Formulate an implementation strategy and plan to manage the innovation and change process