BASELINE
Marketing is currently undergoing a major transformation – not least triggered by the increasing demands resulting from the ongoing digitalization. This change can also be seen, for example, in the fact that marketing managers are increasingly assigned to C-level management as “CMO” and part of the management board of companies.
If the competencies required for effective leadership are compared with the requirements placed on marketing specialists in modern communication, overlaps can be found – both modern leadership and modern marketing have to do with influencing change processes and convincing internal and external stakeholders.
The University of Basel is responding to this trend by offering a special study program – the Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Marketing, Marketing Management and Business Development. Michael Braune-Krickau, Managing Director of the MAS, explains: “An MAS is a part-time continuing education program which, unlike the well-known MBA programs, has a more technical orientation.”
The course lasts about 18 months. It is designed for marketing and business development specialists who are already in their careers and wish to gain further qualifications. Only 24 participants are admitted per year. In a special module, they are given the opportunity to test and expand their leadership and leadership skills.
PROCEDURE
The University of Basel opted for the LEaD Leadership Competence Model as the basis for this module. Braune-Krickau explains: “The power-oriented leadership approach is outdated in the modern business world and is usually useless, especially for young people. The LEaD Leadership Competence Model stands for an approach in which the counterpart is regarded as an equal partner – as an independent individual who should be supported in the efforts to perform well.”
The LEaD model highlights five core competencies and 18 associated facets. These represent the success factors, which not only play an important role in the management of directly supervised employees, but also in the influencing of internal and external third parties in the control of marketing processes.
The module “Leadership and Influencing Change Processes” is now an integral part of the program. Within the framework of the three-day course, participants can deepen their knowledge of which management and leadership repertoire is particularly promising in a change-intensive environment, taking current scientific findings on the transformational and transactional management style in account.
In advance of the module, participants can optionally use the LEaD questionnaire in their daily work. This questionnaire is a well-proven and empirically validated instrument for surveying self-assessment and the perception of third parties – colleagues, employees or one’s own manager.
Based on the results, a confidential feedback report is generated which provides information on personal influence and leadership behavior. Braune-Krickau explains: “It is obvious that the benefits are greater if one’s own self-image can be compared with the perception of others. The LEaD model thus proves to be a reliable approach for the analysis, management and development of one’s own leadership approaches”.
RESULTS
The LEaD Leadership Competence Model is quickly understood by the participants of the course – even within the short time frame available. It is highly accepted because, according to Braune-Krickau, “it is not just another nebulous leadership thing, it is tangible”.