BUSINESS LEADER DEVELOPMENT COURSE by DR. ERIC FRETZ

Overview: A 6-hour curriculum taught in a 7-hour block with a lunch break. Available for up to 20 participants, ideally business owners or aspiring entrepreneurs, who wish to develop their creativity, interpersonal skills, and leadership. Five course modules will provide dynamic cutting edge instruction and practical application on topics like: Divergent thinking and creativity, emotional intelligence, team dynamics, and leadership. The end of class will be a one hour block where students can “choose their own adventure” and request deeper dives on any topic, or provide example problems from their current or past experience that will be solved (hopefully), live and interactively.

TOPICS:

Divergent Thinking/Creativity – What do these terms mean? Why are they so valuable in business environments? How can you have more of them personally and on teams? Several interactive creativity “tests” will be shared.

Emotional Intelligence part one – Know Yourself! - Quadrants 1 and 2 of the 4 -quadrant model, knowing and controlling your SELF is, literally, half the battle. Tests (optional) will be provided before class, and an EQ rubric will be shared that can be used after class to assess and develop your EQ.

Emotional Intelligence part two – Know Others - Quadrants 3 and 4 complete the model, where you develop awareness and empathy for others and become “the leader everyone wants to be around and have around”.

Teams – how to create, build, and sustain them – What do we know about forming teams and accelerating their journey to effective high-performance work? Siza? Diversity? Norms? Accountability? All these and more contribute to success. A team “psychological safety” accelerator exercise will be shared that can be used in any workplace to improve team dynamics.

Leadership – how to find your groove and make an impact! - What’s the difference between a Leader and a Boss? What are the “basics” of leadership that anyone can build on but no one should neglect? A blend of research and anecdote will bring these lessons to life.

On Demand / Stump the Professor - The class can decide by consensus what they want to learn more about and topics will be addressed “on demand”. Additionally, they may choose to share challenges (past or present) from their workplace or life and receive on the spot “consults” on how to improve or perhaps solve the issue.

About the Professor:

Dr. Eric Fretz is Teaching Professor at the University of Michigan, teaching students at the University since 2000. He has created and taught classes at every level from 100-600, and was nominated for the Golden Apple every year. He is also retired from the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer, having deployed to the Persian Gulf combat zone 3 times across 2 wars, earning 30 awards including the Bronze Star. While under fire in Baghdad, he convinced an Iraqi general to let him build a Scout camp on his base for Iraqi children. He has six degrees including a dual PhD in Psychology and Education. He has taught over 10,000 students in corporate, military, and University settings. He consults internationally for the University at the request of the William Davidson Institute, helping NGO executives and entrepreneurs in many countries, including the Polish border of Ukraine and the Syrian border of Turkey. He has been personally trained on Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman (the “Sigmund Freud of EQ”) and holds all available Goleman certifications. He has been honored as a National Outstanding Eagle Scout, and embraces public service in a wide variety of roles. He lives with his wife and children on the banks of the Huron river on the edge of Ann Arbor.

A sample of the voluminous feedback he receives for his work:

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Host or Publisher Chuck Colby