Fundamentals of Leadership
(Formerly Known As Fundamentals of Supervision)
In partnership with Gateway Technical College, WCEDA offers training for supervisors and managers in four modules that will teach participants practical tools they can use to become more valuable team members.
Elizabeth Oplatka, Gateway Technical College
Leadership and Supervision, Business and Workforce Solutions
Liz is an experienced consultant, coach, manager, educator, and business/government journalist with a unique combination of proven competencies in organizational psychology, organizational development, communication, strategic leadership, and change management. Liz coaches and teaches current and future leaders; supports and influences businesses; uses proven tools to assess current behaviors, need and program effectiveness; builds lasting teams and coalitions; improves employee engagement; revitalizes struggling enterprises and helps developing organizations through growing pains.
She has been coaching, consulting, and training in organizations and teaching at the undergraduate and graduate programs for more than 15 years. Prior to that, she practiced what she preaches as a business and government journalist known for turning around floundering enterprises and offering leadership expertise to the industries she covered. She also worked as an employee assistance professional, coaching and counseling in the Loyola University Health System Employee Assistance Program.
Liz earned a dual master’s degree in organizational psychology and counseling from the Adler School of Professional Psychology; a master’s degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University; and a liberal arts BA from Illinois Wesleyan University.
Premium Access Season Pass
Fill up to 3 seats at each module
for a maximum of 24 seats total.
WCEDA Member Value: $6,600
WCEDA Member Cost: $5,000
Total Savings: $1,600
Grand Access Season Pass
Fill up to 2 seats at each module
for a maximum of 16 seats total.
WCEDA Member Value: $4,400
WCEDA Member Cost: $3,125
Total Savings: $1,275
Individual Access Session Pass
Purchased on an individual basis each module.
16 seats available each class.
WCEDA Member Cost: $275
Non-Member Cost: $375
Scroll down to register for each module
Each module consists of four, three-hour workshops. Participants who complete a session will receive a completion certificate.
Expected Outcomes (for students who take all three modules):
Improved Communication Skills
Priority Identification
Conflict Resolution
Bad Behavior Management
Worker Engagement
Avoidance of Harassment and Discrimination
Development of Leadership Tools
**Modules are stand alone and can be taken individually and in any order.
Next up: Module IV starts April 16, 2025!
MODULE I
Leading and Communicating
- The Leader’s Job: The Necessary Skills of Leadership
- The Qualities of Leadership: The Things that Make Leaders Great
- My Dysfunctional Work Family: When the Workplace Mirrors Family Dynamics and How to Keep the Peace
- Beyond “Don’t Do That!”: Communication that Works
Prerequisites: none
Open enrollment – register anytime
For more information and to register, click on the following session links.
AM Session - 8-11am (In Person)
Gateway Technical College - Elkhorn Campus, South Building
Four weeks
Wednesdays
2025 Dates:
June 25
July 9, 16, 23
MODULE II
Doing the Right Things
- Onboard, Not Overboard: Introducing new employees with the least negative impact on safety, quality, and productivity
- Fear No Review: How to deliver formal and informal performance feedback
- From Colleague to Boss: How to Handle Shifting Relationships and Create Across-the-Board Respect
- You Can’t Manage Time, But You Can Manage Energy
- The Gorilla in the Room: Identifying and Preventing the Dangers of Attentional Blindness
Prerequisites: none
Open enrollment – registration coming soon
AM Session - 8-11am (In Person)
Gateway Technical College, Elkhorn Campus
Four weeks
Wednesdays
2025 Dates:
August 6, 13, 20, 27
MODULE III
Different Employees, Different Needs
- The Ethical Supervisor
- The Respectful Workplace: Avoiding Harassment and Discrimination
- Psychological Safety at Work
- It’s Not Your Parents’ Workforce: How to Make the Most of and Make Peace with a Multigenerational Team
- The Power of Difference: How diverse people create stronger organizations
Prerequisites: none
Open enrollment – registration coming soon
AM Session - 8-11am (In Person)
Gateway Technical College, Elkhorn Campus
Four weeks
Wednesdays
2025 Dates:
September 10, 17, 24
October 1
MODULE IV
- Call Me Irresistible: Building and measuring employee engagement
- Finding, Keeping: A Seminar in Attracting and Interviewing a Capable, Retainable Workforce
- Rethinking Conflict: Moving Forward Together
- The Good Fight: Negotiating the Positive Side of Conflict
- Change Leadership
Prerequisites: none
Open enrollment – register anytime
For more information and to register, click on the following session links.
AM Session - 8-11am (In Person)
Gateway Technical College, Elkhorn Campus
Four weeks
Wednesdays
2025 Dates:
April 16, 23, 30
May 7
Questions? Do you have 10+ employees you'd like to have participate? Please contact us below!
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