Building Better Bosses: How UC San Diego’s Leadership Training Programs Are Transforming Workplaces

Far too often, organizations see leadership training as a ‘nice-to-have.’ 

All agree that it’s great when quality leaders are present but what makes great leaders might not be fully understood. The intangible nature of so-called ‘soft skills’ can cause their value to be underappreciated or overlooked. 

Shannon McDonald, Director of Corporate and Custom Training at UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies, sees this as a mistake.

"Leadership training matters because culture and effectiveness rise or fall with the people in charge," said McDonald. "A great boss can inspire loyalty and performance; a poor one can drive people out the door. That's why forward-looking organizations are investing in leadership development at every level."

In today's workplaces, leadership skills—such as emotional intelligence, communication, and conflict management—are increasingly seen as key skills to elevating performance, collaboration and retention.

Companies are learning that technical expertise alone isn’t enough to sustain performance, retain employees, or foster innovation. 

UC San Diego Extended Studies is tackling this need with two complementary programs designed to meet professionals at different stages of their careers; Essentials of Leadership and Management (ELM) and Interpersonal Leadership, Teamwork, and Communication (ILTC).

Together, these programs are shaping more effective leaders to boost productivity, strengthen organizational culture, and promote overall employee well-being.

Misconceptions of Leadership Training

Leadership training can be fuzzy and often misunderstood.

“Many people think leadership training is about fixing poor managers or drilling in textbook theories,” said Richard Mayhew, lead instructor for the Essentials of Leadership and Management (ELM) program. 

“In reality, the best leadership programs are about developing people. We help them grow as a more self-aware and well-rounded person so they can lead with confidence.”

Another misconception about leadership training is that it’s for people who are already in leadership positions. However, Parish Jefferson, PhD, lead instructor for the Interpersonal Leadership, Teamwork, and Communication (ILTC) program, argues that it’s valuable for people at every stage of their career, whether they’re new to the workforce or managing a team of twenty.

“Leadership isn’t about your position or title,” said Jefferson. “It’s about finding ways to lead from wherever you are. You can use the skills of leadership to help your team, your leader, and ultimately your organization.”

Closing the Leadership Skills Gap

One of the more common reasons that organizations turn to leadership training is to support new or struggling managers. For example, an employee who excels through strong work ethic or technical expertise, but is challenged in a supervisory role.

“Organizations promote their best engineer or software developer into management, and suddenly they’re expected to manage people with no training. That’s where we come in,” said Mayhew. 

“These are good employees and high-potential people,” Mayhew continued. “We give them tools for managing conflict, coaching their team, and being more influential amongst their peers. That investment pays off for everyone.”

Often, employees are sent to leadership training not because they're causing problems, but because the employer recognizes their potential and believes additional training can be valuable. This is true, even when employees have some strong skills and performance.

There are other situations where the employee recognizes the skill gap and seeks out career development.

“We get a lot of people who have the technical skills but recognize they’re struggling with things like conflict resolution or team dynamics,” added Grace Sheehy, program manager for Corporate and Custom Training at Extended Studies. 

“Research shows the people who succeed are the ones with leadership intelligence—not just technical ability,” Sheehy added. “Many participants realize that these are essential skills for their own career development, so they proactively seek out the training on their own.”

“Power Skills” for Leadership Development

There are many important skills for leadership, but three broad skills in particular are especially important.

One key skill is Emotional Intelligence (EQ), which is the ability to recognize emotional responses in ourselves and others, and respond appropriately. 

“Emotional intelligence is the thread that runs through all of our programs,” said McDonald. “Every program participant develops their own action plan to address EQ blind spots and build resilience towards addressing them. That’s what creates lasting change.”

Another skill gap is communication. 

According to Jefferson, many younger professionals lack face-to-face communication practice because of generational shifts in how people interact. 

“Young people aren’t talking face-to-face as much,” he said. “They can communicate well with email or from behind a computer, but when they’re put in situations where they have to connect in person they’re not as successful. We’re helping bridge that gap.”

A third key skill set is coaching and feedback. This is especially important because it not only helps the individual with their own growth but also enables them to create positive examples of leadership within the organization. 

“Part of the challenge that brings people into leadership training is they are really low on self-awareness. This is because they might have never received thoughtful honest feedback,” McDonald explained. “We create a safe space to practice giving and receiving feedback constructively, which they can in turn model in their own organization.”

Jefferson stressed that an added benefit of well-executed coaching and feedback is it enables team members to operate with more confidence and autonomy in their own work too. 

”Great leaders don’t just tell you what you did wrong—they coach you to solve the problem so you can handle it on your own next time,” Jefferson added. “This ability to give your team the tools they need to work better without your vigilance is an important part of leadership, too.”

Leadership Training Programs for Managers and Early-Career Professionals

To help create the best opportunity for successful program outcomes, the UC San Diego Extended Studies has divided the leadership training into two different courses, designed to serve different audiences. 

The first program, Essentials of Leadership and Management (ELM) supports mid-level managers and supervisors in elevating their leadership capabilities and driving organizational success. It blends leadership knowledge with experiential practice.

“ELM is designed for those people who are already in management,” said Mayhew, the primary instructor for the course. “They already have others formally reporting to them or are responsible for delivering results. It’s important to make the learning experiential help them relate it to their real-world jobs.”

Mayhew emphasized the importance of discussion, experiential learning and action planning in the program, both to address the different ways people learn and as a way for current leaders to practice the skills in the course before implementing them with their actual team. 

“It’s about giving them opportunities to try, fail, and learn in a safe environment,” he said. “This enables them to bring their new skills to their current roles with more confidence.” 

The second program, Interpersonal Leadership, Teamwork, and Communication (ILTC) is about building the foundation before leadership responsibility arrives. 

“We focus on teamwork, communication, emotional intelligence, navigating conflict, and self-awareness,” Jefferson continued. “These are the things that translate into great leadership but aren’t always taught.”

Many of these skills are commonly thought of as “soft skills,” butJefferson likes to reframe them as “power skills.”

“Some people don’t think these skills are necessary,” he said. “We have to coach them out of that mindset and show them why they matter.”

Sheehy, who supports students through the enrollment process, says the dual approach makes UC San Diego’s offerings unusually comprehensive.

“People sometimes get overwhelmed by the options,” said Sheehy. “My role is to guide them to the right course for their situation. I ask about their experience and goals, and then match them with the program that will be the best fit. That way, they’re not just signing up for any leadership class–they’re getting the program that’s genuinely going to benefit them the most.”

The Organizational ROI of Leadership Development

Ultimately, all this training does so much more than just improve the skills of the individuals. The investment in leadership training delivers tangible results to the organization as a whole.

One of the clearest benefits is employee retention.

“Everybody knows the old saying: you don’t leave jobs, you leave managers,” Jefferson said. “If you can connect with your employees at a more personal level and be the type of leader those employees need, people are more likely to stay.”

McDonald sees leadership development as a fundamental enhancement to organizational culture and effectiveness.

“Retention, engagement, culture—those are all leadership issues,” said McDonald. “When managers lack leadership skills and self-awareness, it damages culture and drives people away. These programs help people get to better know themselves and learn what it takes to become great leaders.”

For individuals, the programs offer growth, confidence, and the ability to lead from wherever they are. For organizations, they create healthier cultures, stronger collaboration, and sustainable performance.

Ultimately, these results show in participant feedback too.

“After every course participants report that the program made them better at building trust, handling conflict, and communicating effectively,” Sheehy said. “That not only helps them as individuals but strengthens their whole organization.”

Mayhew puts it more directly.

“We’re trying to make good bosses. Because when you make good bosses, you make work better for everyone.”

To learn more about curriculum and enrollment for UC San Diego Extended Studies leadership programs, visit the respective pages for Essentials of Leadership and Management (ELM) or Interpersonal Leadership, Teamwork, and Communication (ILTC), or contact the Executive Programs and Corporate Education department directly at unex-leadership@ucsd.edu.