IW113BKK
Leadership in the New World of work: Skills, Careers, and Success in a Changing Workplace
Faculty
Ranya Nehmeh
Global HR Strategist & Future of Work Thought Leader
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
The workplace is undergoing fundamental change. Advances in technology, the rise of hybrid working, and evolving employee expectations are reshaping how organisations operate and what it takes to succeed within them. This course explores these shifts and prepares students to navigate the changing workplace with clarity, adaptability, and a strong sense of direction.
Drawing on real-world experience, the course examines how organisations function in practice, including leadership, decision-making, culture, and the dynamics of modern teams. It also explores how careers are evolving, with less predictable career paths and greater individual responsibility for professional development.
Students will develop key capabilities such as communication, adaptability, critical thinking, and collaboration. Through practical exercises and real-world scenarios, they will learn how to build credibility, navigate ambiguity, work effectively with others, and take ownership of their career development.
Learning highlights
- Understand how the workplace is changing and what this means for early careers
- Explore how organisations function in practice, including decision-making, culture, and team dynamics
- Gain insight into the role of leadership in modern, changing work environments
- Understand how careers are evolving and what it means to take ownership of professional development
- Develop key capabilities, including communication, adaptability, critical thinking, and collaboration
- Learn how to build credibility and work effectively with others in professional settings
- Apply practical strategies to navigate ambiguity, change, and workplace challenges
- Translate course concepts into real-world application through exercises and scenarios
- Build confidence in navigating the workplace from day one
- Reflect on the kind of professional and leader you want to become
Course outline
15 classes
Introduction: What Is Changing in Work?
Content: Overview of how the workplace has evolved and the key forces shaping the modern world of work such as the rise of the gig/fractional economy Introduction to course themes and expectations.
Exercises:
- 1) Professional Speed Networking: Students participate in a structured “speed networking” exercise in rotating pairs.
- 2) Then vs Now: Students compare past and present workplace realities
- 3) Expectation Gap Exercise: Students write what they expect from work vs what companies expect & discuss differences
The New Psychological Contract
Content: Understanding how expectations between employees and employers have changed, and what this means for careers, motivation, and retention. The shift from traditional to modern expectations of work, the move from linear careers to more fluid, self-directed paths.
Exercises:
- 1) Why Do People Quit Jobs? Students list triggers & compare patterns
- 2) Career Reality Check: Linear vs Fluid Careers (in pairs) where students draw a) their expected career path (ideal, linear) and b) then a realistic version (with changes, uncertainty, pivots)
Multi-Generations at Work
Content: Examining generational differences in values, communication styles, and workplace expectations. Focus also on The CHAMELEON Leader (taken from my first book).
Exercises:
- 1) Pros and Cons of working with different generations in the workplace & how should each be managed
- 2) Generational Role Play: Gen Z employee vs Boomer manager
- 3) Communication Style Challenge: Students adapt message for different generations
- 4) The CHAMELEON Leader canvas exercise
I will provide my book The CHAMELEON Leader free for download for that session.
Manager vs Leader
Content: Exploring the differences between management and leadership, including influence, vision, and people development.
Exercises:
- 1) How can managers become leaders?
- 2) Same Scenario, Two Responses: Manager vs leader approach
- 3) Leadership Diagnosis: Students assess behaviour as “manager” or “leader”
What Makes a Good (and Bad) Leader
Content: Identifying key leadership traits and behaviours, including common pitfalls and toxic patterns.
Exercises:
- 1) Worst Boss Story. Students share experiences & identify patterns
- 2) Fix the Leader: Transform a “bad leader” scenario into a good one
Leadership Styles in Practice
Content: Overview of different leadership styles and when they are effective in real-world situations. (autocratic, democratic, transformational, situational leadership). Introverted vs. Extroverted leadership
Exercises:
- 1) Style Matching: Match leadership style to scenario
- 2) Switch the Style: Re-run same scenario with different leadership styles
- 3) Identify your own leadership style (quiz)
- 4) Pros and Cons of introverted vs. extroverted leadership
Motivation at Work: What Drives Performance
Content: Understanding what drives (and undermines) motivation in the workplace, and the role of leadership and work design in shaping performance and engagement. Extrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation.
Exercises:
- 1) What Motivates You? (Personal Mapping)
- 2) Importance of Motivation in the Workplace (Group exercise)
Leading in Times of Change
Content: Understanding how leaders manage change, resistance, and uncertainty in organisations. Also, what is the role of leadership in change?
Exercises:
- 1) Change Announcement Role Play: Students act as managers introducing change
- 2) Resistance Mapping: Identify sources of resistance
Organisational Culture
Content: Exploring how culture shapes behaviour, performance, and workplace experience. Identify healthy vs toxic cultures.
Exercises:
- 1) Culture Diagnosis: Analyse a company case
- 2) Design a Culture: Define values + behaviours
- 3) Evaluating examples of healthy and unhealthy cultures.
Strategy and Alignment
Content: Introduction to organisational strategy and the importance of alignment across teams and functions. Also include OKR (Objectives & Key Results) Frameworks
Exercises:
- 1) Translate Strategy: Turn strategy into actions
- 2) Misalignment Scenario: Identify where things break down
The Future of Skills
Content: Identifying the key skills required for success in a changing workplace (AI literacy, human skills, soft skills)
Exercises:
- 1) Skills Audit: Students assess themselves and conduct a personal skills gap analysis
- 2) Future-Proofing Exercise: Identify skills for next 5 years
- 3) Human + AI Collaboration. Students identify which parts of their future roles can be automated vs. which require the "human skills"
The Future of the Workplace
Content: Exploration of hybrid work, digital transformation, and new ways of organising work (Synchronous vs. Asynchronous" work).
Exercises:
- 1) Design a future workplace model and identify potential challenges
- 2) The Bad Brief (in Pairs), experience unclear instructions and fix them
- 3) How to lead in a hybrid workplace?
Careers in the New World of Work
Content: Exploring non-linear career paths and the importance of career ownership. Understanding the importance of ongoing learning and development in modern careers (learning culture, need for reskilling and upskilling)
Exercises:
- 1) Students design a personal learning plan
- 2) Teach-Back Exercise: Students teach a skill to peers
- 3) Decision Scenario: Choose between career options
Final Integration and Presentations
Content: Bringing together course concepts and applying them to real-world contexts.
Final Presentations: Future workplace / career strategy (come up with a Personal Professional Operating System which includes a 2-part deliverable):
- 1) A Leadership Manifesto: Based on their "Chameleon Leader" style.
- 2) An Upskilling Roadmap: A 2-year plan for technical and soft skill acquisition.
Wrap-Up: Key takeaways and future outlook
- 1) Final Reflection: What Changed for You?
- 2) The Key Shift
- 3) Final Exercise: Your Future Self
Reflection Exercise: What kind of professional do I want to be?
Course materials
Books
Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites are required for this course.
However, students are expected to:
- Be curious about how organisations and workplaces function
- Be open to self-reflection and feedback
- Actively participate in discussions, exercises and group work
Methodology
The course is designed as an interactive, practice-oriented learning experience that bridges theory and real-world application. It combines short conceptual inputs with practical exercises, real-world scenarios, and peer-based learning. Each session follows a structured format that includes:
- Brief instructor-led inputs to introduce key concepts
- Interactive discussions to explore different perspectives
- Practical exercises such as role plays, simulations, and case-based scenarios
- Group and pair work to apply concepts in realistic workplace situations
- Reflection and feedback to consolidate learning
Throughout the course, students will progress from understanding how the workplace is evolving to exploring how organisations and leadership function in practice, before applying these insights to their own skills and career development.
The course emphasises active participation, practical application, and the ability to translate concepts into real-world situations.
Grading
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Leadership in the New World of work: Skills, Careers, and Success in a Changing Workplace
by Ranya Nehmeh
Total hours
45 Hours
Dates
Jun 07 - Jun 25, 2027
Fee for single course
€1500
Fee for degree students
€750
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