Lead Forward Course Overview

HRLEAD 101 Foundations of Human-Centered Management

Foundations of Human Centered Management is the first course in the Lead Forward: Manager Development Program. 

This session grounds participants in what it means to lead at Cornell—through a lens that centers people, purpose, and presence.

Participants explore the foundations of Cornell’s workplace culture and what it truly means to work and lead at the university. The course introduces Cornell’s Leadership Philosophy, the transition from peer to manager, and the ways power and influence shape team dynamics. Throughout the session, participants reflect on their leadership identity and how they want to show up for their teams.

This course sets the stage for growth as a human centered manager by helping participants:

• Define the core expectations of managers at Cornell
• Explore personal leadership identity, values, and style
• Use self-assessment tools to reflect on strengths and growth areas
• Navigate the transition from peer to manager with awareness of power dynamics

By the end of the course, participants gain a clearer understanding of their role, a stronger sense of their leadership identity, and a foundation they will continue to build throughout the Lead Forward program.

HRLEAD 103 Peer Coaching: The S.P.A.R.K. Framework

This asynchronous lesson introduces the S.P.A.R.K. peer coaching framework used throughout the Lead Forward program. Participants learn a simple, structured approach for supporting one another through real‑world leadership challenges. Through short demonstrations and guided reflection, managers practice how to listen with intention, ask powerful questions, and help peers gain clarity and momentum in their leadership journey.

HRLEAD 102 Foundations of Human‑Centered Management

The Learning Lab is an interactive, practice‑based extension of the Foundations of Human‑Centered Management course. In this session, participants move from understanding the concepts to applying them—through real scenarios, small‑group discussion, and guided reflection.

Managers explore what human‑centered leadership looks like in everyday situations, including navigating the shift from peer to manager, recognizing power dynamics, and building trust through clarity and presence. Participants practice using self‑assessment insights, experiment with new leadership behaviors, and learn from one another’s experiences in a supportive cohort environment.

By the end of the Learning Lab, participants will be able to:

• Apply Cornell’s core expectations of managers to real workplace situations
• Practice leadership behaviors that strengthen trust, clarity, and belonging
• Reflect on their leadership identity and how it shows up in moments that matter
• Navigate early leadership challenges with greater confidence and awareness

This session helps managers translate insight into action—building the foundation for a grounded, human‑centered leadership practice they will continue to develop throughout the Lead Forward program.

HRLEAD 100 Lead Forward: Human-Centered Management Spotlight

Join Cornell leaders as they discuss the realities of human‑centered management—what it looks like in practice, how they navigate challenges, and the leadership behaviors that build trust, belonging, and clarity on their teams. This session offers candid stories, practical strategies, and inspiration for new and emerging managers.

HRLEAD 104 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 201 Leading Inclusively: Building Team Trust and Belonging Through Evidence‑Based Practice

This self‑paced course introduces managers to evidence‑based practices for leading inclusively—practices that strengthen communication, trust, and belonging on a team. Participants explore how identity, bias, and belonging shape workplace experience, and learn how Cornell’s Unified Skills for Success shift when applied with an inclusive mindset. The course also highlights when and how to partner with the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Inclusion & Belonging to support fair, consistent decisions. This lesson builds directly on the human‑centered leadership concepts introduced in Course 1.

Learning Objectives:

In this module, you will learn:

• What it means to lead inclusively, based on current research
• Why leading inclusively matters for engagement, belonging, and performance
• How identity, bias, and belonging shape workplace experience
• When and how to partner with COCR and Department of Inclusion & Belonging
• How leading inclusively connects to human‑centered leadership

HRLEAD 202 Leading Inclusively

This interactive Learning Lab gives managers the chance to practice leading inclusively in real time. Through a dynamic meeting‑simulation, small‑group activities, and scenario‑based discussions, participants explore how everyday team interactions shape trust, belonging, and psychological safety. Managers will experiment with communication behaviors that invite voice, reduce interpersonal risk, and support equitable participation—especially in moments involving identity, bias, or exclusion.

The session is highly applied and grounded in real workplace challenges, giving managers practical tools they can use immediately to strengthen team dynamics, build connection, and create environments where people can contribute fully.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this Learning Lab, participants will be able to:

• Lead inclusively in team interactions by noticing who is included, excluded, or interrupted and responding in ways that support equitable participation.
• Use inclusive communication behaviors—such as curiosity, active listening, and perspective taking—to strengthen trust and belonging.
• Create conditions for psychological safety by reducing interpersonal risk, inviting voice, and responding constructively to identity related moments.
• Adapt leadership behaviors to individual and team needs to support equitable work experiences and wellbeing.

HRLEAD 200 Lead Forward: Partnering for Equity Panel

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 204 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 301 Integrity in Action — Policy, Compliance & Ethical Accountability

This self‑paced module builds a strong foundation for ethical, compliant, and trustworthy leadership at Cornell. Managers learn key HR policies, legal responsibilities, and common risk areas they may encounter in supervisory roles. Through practical examples and clear guidance, participants explore how ethical decision‑making, documentation, and timely partnership with HR, OGC, and Labor Relations support fairness, consistency, and trust across their teams.

Learning Objectives 

• Recognize the connection between ethical leadership, compliance, fairness, and trust.
• Identify key HR policies, legal responsibilities, and risk areas that affect everyday supervisory decisions.
• Recognize situations that require careful documentation, timely escalation, or consultation with university resources.
• Apply ethical decision-making principles to workplace situations while balancing consistency, fairness, and individual circumstances.
• Use policies and established processes to communicate expectations clearly and support fair, equitable, and respectful treatment.
• Identify when and how to partner with HR, Staff and Labor Relations, the Office of General Counsel, and other appropriate University resources.

HRLEAD 302 Building Trust Through Ethical Leadership: Learning Lab

In this interactive learning lab, managers apply policy knowledge to real world scenarios and practice making ethical, well reasoned decisions. Participants strengthen their judgment around documentation, escalation, and partnership with HR and OGC, while learning how to communicate policy aligned decisions with clarity and compassion. The session builds confidence in navigating complex or ambiguous situations and reinforces leadership behaviors that foster trust and accountability.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this learning lab, managers will be able to:

• Apply HR policies, legal guidelines, and ethical reasoning to real world supervisory scenarios.
• Practice communicating policy aligned decisions in ways that build clarity, fairness, and psychological safety.
• Strengthen judgment around when to document, escalate, or seek partnership with HR, OGC, or Labor Relations.
• Model consistent, equitable leadership behaviors when navigating leave, accommodations, wage/hour issues, or employee concerns.
• Build confidence responding to ambiguous or challenging situations using structured support pathways and ethical decision-making tools.

HRLEAD 300 Lead Forward: Partnering for Equity Panel

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 304 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 401 Infinite Impact: Providing Effective Feedback – Manager Edition

The Infinite Impact learning pathway equips managers with the mindset, skills, and practical tools needed to deliver clear, compassionate, and effective feedback. Participants begin with Foundations of Effective Feedback, a self paced module that introduces the core concepts and frameworks. They then deepen their learning in Providing Effective Feedback, an in person Learning Lab focused on real world application, practice, and building confidence in feedback conversations.

This self-paced course builds the foundational skills managers need to communicate with clarity, care, and accountability. Through eight focused lessons, you’ll explore the essential components of growth-oriented feedback—appreciation, coaching, accountability, inclusion, and trust. Each lesson combines practical tools with real examples to guide reflection, increase clarity about your communication patterns, and strengthen how you show up for your team.

You’ll also prepare a real feedback situation from your work. This preparation ensures you arrive at the Learning Lab ready to apply the framework immediately and engage in meaningful practice with your peers.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this module, managers will be able to:

• Build foundational understanding of appreciation-driven, growth-oriented feedback
• Learn the Radical Candor framework and how to apply it across real workplace situations
• Use structured coaching and feedback tools to support employee development
• Strengthen your ability to initiate feedback, address misalignment, and drive accountability
• Explore how inclusion, engagement, and trust shape effective communication
• Prepare a real-world feedback scenario for the Learning Lab

HRLEAD 402 Infinite Impact: Learning Lab

This session is designed for managers who want to strengthen how they communicate, lead, and build trust. Infinite Impact: Providing Effective Feedback introduces a clear, compassionate approach grounded in Radical Candor—caring personally while challenging directly. Through real scenarios, guided practice, and supportive role play, you’ll learn to speak with honesty and clarity, strengthen relationships, and create a team culture where everyone can grow with confidence and care.

This workshop is highly experiential: participants come ready to practice, reflect, and apply the framework immediately. Required pre work ensures everyone arrives with shared context and a real-world situation in mind, allowing us to dive straight into application from the very start. This is feedback that makes an impact—one conversation at a time.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, managers will be able to:

• Consider a practical, relationship-centered approach to giving effective feedback that supports clarity, care, and growth.
• Apply the approach through case-based discussion, exploring real workplace dynamics and practicing how to raise concerns with honesty and empathy.
• Strengthen individual feedback skills through guided, supportive role play, creating a safe environment to experiment, reflect, and build confidence.
• Begin applying the framework immediately through pre work that prepares participants to engage deeply in experiential practice.

HRLEAD 400 Lead Forward: Talent Attraction & Recruitment

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 404 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 501 Hire Well, Start Strong – Intentional Recruiting & Onboarding 

Hiring well is one of the most important responsibilities of a people leader. This module gives managers a clear, practical foundation in how to recruit intentionally, hire inclusively, and onboard new team members in ways that build connection and clarity. You’ll explore Cornell’s job structure, position descriptions, compensation principles, and the unified hiring process—building the knowledge needed to make confident, equitable hiring decisions.

Required pre‑work ensures everyone arrives at the Learning Lab with shared context and a strong understanding of the hiring lifecycle, allowing us to focus entirely on application during the in‑person session.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, managers will be able to:

• Understand the purpose and core components of a Staff Position Description (SPD) and how it supports clarity, equity, and compliance.
• Describe how to build a recruitment strategy and timeline aligned with Cornell’s unified hiring process.
• Identify competencies and skills that guide equitable prescreening and structured interviewing.
• Understand Cornell’s staff compensation structure and principles of performance‑based pay.
• Recognize how unconscious bias influences hiring decisions and apply research‑based strategies to reduce its impact.
• Identify the elements of an inclusive hiring and onboarding process that support early engagement and long‑term retention.

HRLEAD 502 Hire Well, Start Strong: Learning Lab

This highly experiential, 3‑hour session gives managers hands‑on practice applying the concepts learned in the asynchronous module. Through realistic Cornell scenarios, participants refine position descriptions, build recruitment strategies, practice structured interviewing, and draft an onboarding plan that sets new hires up for success from day one. The session also incorporates the filmed scenario Depends on the Lens, helping managers recognize bias in real conversations and practice how to intervene with clarity and care.

Participants come ready to practice, reflect, and apply the hiring framework immediately. The session creates a supportive environment where managers can experiment, collaborate, and build confidence in leading equitable, effective searches.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, managers will be able to:

• Analyze and refine a position description to improve clarity, inclusivity, and alignment with team needs.
• Build a recruitment strategy and timeline for a realistic Cornell hiring scenario.
• Apply structured, inclusive screening and interviewing techniques using consistent criteria.
• Practice recognizing and intervening when bias appears in search conversations using insights from Depends on the Lens.
• Draft a 30‑day onboarding plan that builds connection, clarity, and early retention.

HRLEAD 500 Lead Forward: Talent Attraction & Recruitment

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 504 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 601 Lead with Clarity: Human-Centered Performance Management

This program gives managers a clear, practical foundation in Cornell’s human‑centered performance management practices. Across six focused modules, participants explore the everyday leadership moments that shape clarity, accountability, and employee success. They learn how to set expectations that truly align with organizational priorities, use structured tools such as position descriptions, SMART goals, and performance and behavioral indicators, and facilitate ongoing conversations that help employees understand where they are and where they’re going.

The program also introduces the full arc of Cornell’s performance management cycle — probationary reviews, progressive discipline, and merit‑based recognition — helping managers understand when to seek partnership from Human Resources and Workforce Policy and Labor Relations, and how to apply Policy 6.11.3 consistently and fairly. Each module offers practical examples, guided reflections, and tools managers can use immediately.

By the end, managers gain a deeper sense of how to lead with transparency, fairness, and confidence across the full performance cycle, creating an environment where expectations are clear, growth is supported, and employees feel seen and valued.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this asynchronous program, managers will be able to:

• Set clear, aligned expectations using position descriptions, organizational priorities, and behavioral standards, creating shared clarity for employees from day one.
• Use structured tools — SMART goals and performance indicators — to guide year‑round feedback, reinforce accountability, and help employees understand how their work connects to team and organizational success.
• Facilitate ongoing performance conversations that reinforce expectations, support development, and strengthen belonging by creating space for honest dialogue and shared understanding.
• Navigate probationary reviews and apply progressive discipline appropriately, following Policy 6.11.3 and partnering with HR and Workforce Policy and Labor Relations to ensure fairness, consistency, and support for both employees and managers.

HRLEAD 602 Human-Centered Performance Learning Lab

This highly experiential, 3‑hour session invites managers to step directly into the real work of performance management — the conversations, decisions, and moments of clarity that shape an employee’s experience at Cornell. Building on the asynchronous program, participants work through realistic Cornell scenarios that mirror the challenges managers face every day: setting expectations that truly land, conducting probationary check‑ins that support early success, facilitating performance dialogues with care, and recognizing when a situation needs to shift from coaching to corrective action.

Throughout the session, managers engage with real‑world cases that require them to document concerns clearly, apply shared tools consistently, and partner effectively with HR and Workforce Policy and Labor Relations. These partnerships become part of the learning itself — helping managers understand how to navigate policy, uphold fairness, and seek support when performance concerns emerge.

The learning lab creates a supportive environment where managers can practice, reflect, and experiment. Participants try out language, test approaches, and collaborate with peers as they build confidence in leading clear, fair, and human‑centered performance conversations. By the end, managers leave with practical tools, deeper insight, and a renewed sense of how to apply Cornell’s performance management framework with both clarity and compassion.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, managers will be able to:

• Apply Cornell’s performance management tools — including SMART goals and performance and behavioral indicators — to realistic scenarios in ways that bring clarity, alignment, and shared understanding.
• Lead probationary and performance conversations that reinforce expectations, document progress thoughtfully, and support an employee’s development with care and consistency.
• Recognize when a situation needs to shift from coaching to corrective action, and determine appropriate next steps using Policy 6.11.3 in partnership with HR and Workforce Policy and Labor Relations.
• Collaborate effectively with HR partners by preparing clear documentation, engaging early, and approaching performance concerns with fairness, transparency, and a commitment to employee success.

HRLEAD 600 Lead Forward: Human-Centered Performance

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 604 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 701 Courageous Conversations: Conflict, Courage, & Collaboration

Conflict shows up in every workplace — in moments of misalignment, misunderstandings, shifting priorities, and the everyday pressures of doing meaningful work together. For new managers, these moments can feel uncomfortable or high‑stakes, yet they are also powerful opportunities to build trust, strengthen relationships, and create clarity.

This asynchronous program invites managers to slow down and explore conflict through a human‑centered lens. Through short lessons, guided reflections, and realistic Cornell scenarios, participants learn how emotions shape difficult conversations, how mindset influences behavior, and how to stay grounded using Above‑the‑Line/Below‑the‑Line awareness and centering practices. The program introduces the Courageous Conversations framework — a structured, repeatable approach that helps managers move from tension to shared understanding and collaborative action.

By the end, managers will see conflict not as something to avoid, but as a leadership skill to cultivate: a chance to listen deeply, speak honestly, and create conditions where people feel respected and heard.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this asynchronous experience, managers will be able to:

• Explain how emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and conflict styles shape the way conflict unfolds in teams.
• Recognize their own triggers and patterns using the Above‑the‑Line/Below‑the‑Line mindset model.
• Use the Courageous Conversations framework to prepare for and structure difficult conversations with clarity and care.
• Identify collaborative strategies that transform conflict into connection, learning, and stronger team dynamics.

HRLEAD 702 Courageous Conversations Learning Lab

Courageous conversations come alive in practice — in the pauses, the questions, the moments of vulnerability, and the choices we make when emotions run high. This highly experiential, 3‑hour learning lab gives managers the space to step into those moments with support, structure, and confidence.

Building on the asynchronous module, participants work through realistic Cornell conflict scenarios that mirror the challenges managers face every day: misaligned expectations, strained relationships, performance tensions, and conversations where both clarity and compassion are needed. Together, managers practice centering techniques, explore their conflict tendencies, and use the Courageous Conversations framework to navigate high‑stakes dialogue with empathy, curiosity, and accountability.

The session is hands‑on, reflective, and collaborative. Managers experiment with inquiry, acknowledgment, advocacy, and shared problem‑solving — receiving real‑time feedback and learning how to stay grounded even when conversations feel difficult. By the end, participants leave with practical tools, renewed confidence, and a deeper understanding of how to transform conflict into connection and forward movement.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this learning lab, managers will be able to:

• Practice centering and emotional regulation techniques that help them stay grounded and present during conflict.
• Use the Courageous Conversations framework to navigate real conflict scenarios with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
• Demonstrate collaborative conflict behaviors — inquiry, acknowledgment, and shared problem‑solving — in structured role‑plays.
• Apply strategies that build psychological safety, reduce defensiveness, and strengthen relationships during difficult conversations.

HRLEAD 700 Courageous Conversations Leadership Panel

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 704 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 801 Culture in Action: Motivating Teams That Thrive

Culture isn’t something that lives in a mission statement — it’s created in the everyday ways teams connect, communicate, and support one another. This asynchronous program helps managers understand how to build team cultures where people feel motivated, included, and able to do their best work. Through short lessons and Cornell‑specific examples, participants explore what belonging looks like in practice, how different working styles shape team dynamics, and how leaders can reduce isolation and strengthen cohesion, especially in hybrid environments. By the end, managers will see culture as a set of intentional actions that help teams thrive.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this asynchronous program, managers will be able to:

• Recognize the everyday behaviors that shape team culture and influence motivation.
• Foster belonging and reduce isolation through inclusive, human‑centered leadership practices.
• Identify different working styles and adapt leadership approaches to support individual and team success.
• Apply practical tools to strengthen cohesion and connection across hybrid and in‑person teams.

HRLEAD 802 Culture in Action Learning Lab

Culture comes alive through experience — in the way teams collaborate, communicate, and navigate moments of tension or celebration. This hands‑on learning lab gives managers the space to practice building the conditions where people feel connected and motivated. Through interactive activities and realistic Cornell scenarios, participants experiment with strategies for strengthening cohesion, supporting different working styles, and fostering belonging across hybrid teams. The session creates a supportive environment where managers can reflect, collaborate, and try out new approaches that make culture visible in everyday leadership. 

Managers leave with practical tools and renewed confidence in shaping team environments where people feel valued and able to thrive.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this learning lab, managers will be able to:

• Practice strategies that build cohesion and connection across diverse and hybrid teams.
• Use inclusive leadership behaviors that foster belonging and reduce isolation.
• Adapt communication and collaboration approaches to support different working styles.
• Apply culture‑building tools to real Cornell scenarios and reflect on their impact.

HRLEAD 800 From Values to Action: A Culture Conversation Panel

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 804 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 901 Supporting Wellbeing – Burnout Prevention & Resilience

Supporting Wellbeing: Burnout Prevention & Resilience helps managers understand how leadership behaviors shape the everyday experience of work. This course introduces the foundations of burnout prevention and health‑oriented leadership, offering a research‑based look at how stress, workload, and team culture influence engagement and effectiveness. Through a self‑paced, accessible format, managers learn to recognize early signs of strain, hold supportive wellbeing conversations, and connect employees with university resources that offer meaningful support. The course emphasizes practical tools—sustainable workload strategies, recovery practices, and boundary‑modeling—that leaders can apply immediately to strengthen both their own resilience and the wellbeing of their teams. This course prepares managers to lead with clarity, steadiness, and care, creating environments where people feel respected, supported, and able to do their best work.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this course, managers will be able to:

• Recognize early signs of burnout, disengagement, and common mental health concerns, and understand how job demands, resources, and team culture contribute to strain.
• Hold supportive wellbeing conversations using empathetic, non clinical communication skills that promote psychological safety and appropriate role boundaries.
• Connect employees to university resources through warm, stigma reducing referrals and clear escalation pathways.
• Support sustainable work practices by shaping workloads, encouraging recovery behaviors, and modeling healthy boundaries and personal resilience.
• Understand systemic and trauma informed factors that influence wellbeing and apply leadership behaviors that foster safety, trust, clarity, and empowerment.
• Use simple reflection tools to observe team patterns and continuously strengthen the climate of care and resilience.

HRLEAD 902 Supporting Wellbeing Learning Lab

The Supporting Wellbeing Learning Lab gives managers a hands‑on opportunity to bring the concepts from the asynchronous course into real‑world practice. Through guided scenarios, peer discussion, and collaborative problem‑solving, managers deepen their ability to recognize signs of strain, hold supportive wellbeing conversations, and navigate role boundaries with clarity and care. The session emphasizes practical application—designing sustainable workload approaches, modeling healthy boundaries, and shaping team norms that strengthen psychological safety and resilience. By working through realistic situations and reflecting with peers, managers leave with greater confidence, a clearer sense of their role, and concrete strategies they can use immediately to support wellbeing across their teams.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this learning lab, managers will be able to:

• Recognize and respond to signs of burnout and distress using observation, inquiry, and supportive conversation skills.
• Practice wellbeing conversations that balance empathy, clarity, and appropriate role boundaries.
• Apply escalation and referral pathways through realistic scenarios that reinforce when and how to connect employees with university resources.
• Use sustainable workload and boundary setting strategies to address team level stressors and support healthier work rhythms.
• Model leadership behaviors that strengthen psychological safety, resilience, and trust within their teams.
• Develop actionable next steps to integrate wellbeing practices into their daily leadership approach.

HRLEAD 900 Wellbeing and Flexible Work

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 904 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 1001 The Strategy Shift: Leading with Vision and Influence

The Strategy Shift introduces managers to the core capabilities required to lead with clarity, influence, and strategic purpose. Through a self paced experience, managers learn how organizational strategy connects to team goals, how influence works across functions without relying on authority, and how vision setting and prioritization create shared direction. The course also builds foundational strategic thinking skills—diagnosing problems, making decisions under ambiguity, and applying sound judgment—so managers can navigate change and guide their teams with confidence. This module provides the mental models and frameworks that prepare managers for deeper practice in the learning lab.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, managers will be able to:

• Explain how team goals connect to broader organizational strategy and why strategic alignment strengthens clarity and execution.
• Describe core influence skills used to lead across teams and functions without relying on authority.
• Understand models for vision setting and prioritization that support shared direction and reduce ambiguity.
• Recognize how strategic thinking, decision making, and judgment shape effective leadership in complex environments.
• Analyze strategic scenarios to identify alignment gaps, influence opportunities, and prioritization challenges.

HRLEAD 1002 The Strategy Shift Learning Lab

The Strategy Shift Learning Lab gives managers the opportunity to apply the concepts from the asynchronous course to real workplace situations. Through interactive exercises, stakeholder mapping, prioritization challenges, and facilitated conversations, managers practice connecting team goals to institutional strategy, influencing across functions, and guiding teams through vision setting and prioritization with clarity and purpose. The session emphasizes practical application—using strategic thinking, decision making, and judgment to navigate ambiguity and strengthen alignment. Managers leave with refined skills, greater confidence, and actionable strategies they can implement immediately.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this learning lab, managers will be able to:

• Connect team goals to broader organizational strategy by identifying alignment gaps and refining goals for clarity and coherence.
• Practice influence skills through stakeholder mapping, strategy development, and realistic cross functional conversations.
• Facilitate vision setting and prioritization discussions that create shared direction and support coordinated action.
• Apply strategic thinking, decision making, and judgment to navigate ambiguity and competing demands.
• Develop actionable next steps to integrate strategic alignment and influence practices into their daily leadership approach.

HRLEAD 1000 Wellbeing and Flexible Work

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 1004 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 1101 One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Leading with Flexibility in Complex Systems

One Size Doesn’t Fit All introduces managers to the adaptive leadership skills required to supervise effectively in a complex university environment. Through a self paced experience, managers learn how different employee populations experience the system, how structural constraints shape supervision, and why flexible, context sensitive leadership is essential. The course builds foundational capabilities in diagnosing adaptive versus technical challenges, creating psychological safety across diverse roles, navigating organizational complexity, and setting clear boundaries. Managers gain the mental models needed to lead with flexibility, equity, and clarity—preparing them for deeper practice in the learning lab.

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this course, managers will be able to:

• Identify key differences in supervising special populations and understand how role constraints, identity factors, and system dynamics shape their experience.
• Explain core adaptive leadership concepts and distinguish adaptive challenges from technical problems.
• Recognize how psychological safety, equity, and communication flexibility support effective supervision across diverse roles.
• Understand boundary management and scope of responsibility when navigating complex organizational structures.
• Analyze real world scenarios to identify contextual factors, system constraints, and opportunities for adaptive leadership.

HRLEAD 1102 Complex Systems Learning Lab

Complex Systems Learning Lab gives managers hands on practice applying adaptive leadership strategies to real Cornell scenarios. Through interactive case work, role based supervision challenges, and facilitated sensemaking, managers learn how to flex their leadership approach for different populations, navigate ambiguity, and respond effectively to complex organizational dynamics. The session emphasizes practical application—diagnosing adaptive challenges, adjusting communication, setting boundaries, and supporting psychological safety across varied roles. Managers leave with increased confidence and concrete strategies they can use immediately in their supervisory practice.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this learning lab, managers will be able to:

• Identify and respond to key differences in supervising special populations using context sensitive leadership strategies.
• Apply adaptive leadership tools to diagnose challenges, adjust expectations, and navigate ambiguity in real world scenarios.
• Practice communication flexibility and boundary setting to support clarity, equity, and psychological safety across diverse roles.
• Navigate complex organizational dynamics by mapping system constraints, stakeholders, and decision pathways.
• Develop actionable next steps to integrate flexible, adaptive leadership practices into their daily supervisory work.

HRLEAD 1100 Wellbeing and Flexible Work

Each month, this space welcomes a new campus partner, resource, or leader to share insights that support our community’s growth and success. These sessions offer participants a chance to learn from experts across the university, explore timely topics, and strengthen connections with the offices that help shape a healthy, equitable, and thriving workplace.

Whether the focus is communication, inclusion, policy, well‑being, or leadership development, each conversation provides practical guidance, fresh perspectives, and opportunities to engage with colleagues who support our shared mission.

HRLEAD 1104 Lead Forward Peer Coaching Session

This 50‑minute session gives participants a structured space to coach one another on a monthly focal question. Using a consistent peer‑coaching approach, small groups take turns exploring real challenges, asking thoughtful questions, and supporting each other’s clarity and next steps. Each session builds confidence, strengthens listening skills, and deepens connection across the cohort.

HRLEAD 1202 Capstone Reflection & Integration Learning Lab

The Capstone brings the Lead Forward journey full circle. Managers revisit the learning plan they created in Month 1 and reflect on how their leadership has grown and evolved throughout the year. Through guided reflection, peer dialogue, and integrative activities, participants connect the concepts from all twelve months into a cohesive leadership practice that aligns with their values, strengths, and role. The session creates space to celebrate progress, clarify future commitments, and map out the coming year with intention. Managers leave with renewed purpose and a clear plan for continuing their development and contributing meaningfully to Cornell’s mission.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, managers will be able to:

• Reflect on personal growth and leadership evolution across the full Lead Forward program.
• Integrate key concepts into a cohesive leadership practice that supports clarity, inclusion, and effectiveness.
• Revisit and refine their Month 1 learning plan to identify priorities and development goals for the year ahead.
• Articulate leadership habits and commitments they will carry forward to strengthen their impact.
• Connect their leadership growth to Cornell’s mission and define how they will contribute to a healthy, collaborative, and high performing workplace culture.