7SBL Developing Skills for Business Leadership

Module Overview

Developing Skills for business leadership (7SBL) is a unit within CIPD Level 7 module that provides the learners with knowledge and information that is highly relevant in the modern organisation world. The unit is concerned with improving the skill sets of the learners by providing them with a range of skills that are applicable to business leadership. This ensures that they are able to make informed decisions that are valid in improving the value propositions of their organisations within the market and increase its performance within the overall industry.

Being a competitive employee of choice and being able to achieve the organisational goals and responsibilities to the stakeholders. This unit is a critical part of CIPD as it helps to prepare people professionals who are leaders in their different areas of practice by introducing them to the relevant skill sets which improve ether influence over the employees within the organisations at different times. It further helps to improve the impact that the people professionals have in influencing the performance of the organisation in terms of financial productivity or improving the competitive ability of the organisation within the market.

Unit Objectives

The unit has the main aim of improving the leadership abilities of the learners. This is achieved through influencing the development of leadership skills which they can implement in different organisational engagements hence influencing the performance of their organisations. Some of the main objectives that will be achieved at the end of the unit include:

• Understand the main principles of business leadership

• Understand the role that diversity plays in improving the leadership, especially in relation to human resource management

• Implement effective leadership skills to promote the organisation's strategy

• Provide skills that support the human resource to achieve their responsibilities

• Create an influence on the activities within the organisation.

Suitability of the Course

The course is suitable for different people who are in leadership positions within any organisation or seek to achieve leadership positions in the organisations in future. The unit aims at sharpening the leadership abilities and skills of the learners. As such, leaders in different areas of the organisation, including human resource management, executive management or line managers, can find the unit highly beneficial in identifying the most critical skills that they need to utilise in different organisational contexts.

7SBL is also a unit that provides individuals with an understanding of the best models of leadership to employ in specific business contexts. By being able to choose the best model for a specific situation, the learners are able to effectively handle different situations to achieve desirable outcomes within the business context hence improving their performance as they pursue their daily professional practices.

Lastly, the unit is suitable for all employees who seek to achieve growth and development in terms of understanding business leadership and developing their leadership skills in the modern corporate world; the workforce is encouraged to pursue leadership development opportunities and seek to achieve a better understanding of their roles within the organisation. 7SBL provides these employees with the platforms through which they can acquire the necessary information on business leadership as well as build their leadership skills and traits.

Key Areas of Learning

The unit focuses on different aspects of the organisation ranging from understanding the business context and diversity within this context to understanding the leadership skills required for specific situations and cases. One of the main key areas identified from the unit include

Leadership and Management Skills

Leadership and management skills are important sets of capabilities that an individual needs to exhibit to be able to pursue specific leadership responsibilities effectively. 7SBL is a unit that helps to identify these skills and ensure that the learners are able to develop the desired skills in this perspective.

Skills such as time management, decision-making, critical thinking and problem-solving are paramount skills that business leader must exhibit. These skills are important in making judgments on the financial aspect and human resources of the organisation. They facilitate focusing on both the short-term and long-term objectives of the organisation hence accomplishing organisational goals and objectives.

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are important in facilitating effective interaction and communication between individuals. 7SBL identifies the critical role that being able to effectively interact with others within the organisation facilitates the development of the desired leadership traits. As such, it provides a mastery of important interpersonal skills, which include effective communication and conflict resolution.

To ensure that the learners are able to make contributions in their position as business leaders within their specific organisations. This area is highly important for people professionals as they are required to exert influence and show leadership to other employees, and this can only be achieved through effectively managing the relationships among these employees.

Personality and Individual Differences

Business leadership is built on identifying and understanding the diversity and differences within the organisation. An organisation is characterised by people of different backgrounds. This creates both personality and individual differences, but all must work together to achieve the organisational goals and objectives.

As a business leader, understanding this element is important in ensuring that the learner can influence the individuals through respecting their diversity and promote them towards successfully accomplishing their organisational goals ad objectives. 7SBL helps to understand the diversity within the organisation and how this can influence the performance of the organisation both in terms of financial performance and attractiveness of customers and employees.

Wrap Up

The unit is wide and is assessed using a 4000-word written assessment. The learners are required to complete the assessment where they provide responses to questions provided within the assessment module. This assesses their mastery of the theoretical information that is taught within 7SBL and the practical applications of the content that they have learned within the classroom setting. The learners will be required dot use practical examples and illustrations to show their ability to apply the concepts learned in an organisational setting.