Leadership Fundamentals
Leadership theories, transactional, transformational and situational leadership, adaptive leadership, and lessons from history's great leaders.
6 modules
The Way Forward Academy · Mid-Level Leader Development
Leader development for the managers who turn strategy into results.
We develop the leaders in the middle of your organization, where execution happens. 8 self-paced classes and 36 modules help HR teams build their leadership bench and CEOs develop leaders who execute — grounded in decades of senior leadership in the military, higher education and the boardroom.
8
Classes
36
Modules
Self-paced
Learn on your schedule
80%
Pass mark, unlimited retakes
The program
From managing tasks to leading teams.
The Way Forward Academy delivers battle-tested leader development for today’s mid-level leaders. Our manager-to-leader development program helps your middle leaders think clearly, decide well and bring their teams with them. Each class blends readings, video, interactive models, reflection and real-world assignments.
For HR teams, it’s about building your leadership bench and preparing the next leaders to step up. For CEOs, it’s about closing the gap between strategy and execution — developing leaders who lead through intent and turn plans into action.
Enroll a single manager or your whole leadership bench. Each learner's work saves to their account, so they can pick up where they left off on any device — and instructors review every assignment.
How each module works
Watch, read, reflect, prove it.
01
Learn
Short readings, key terms and video from experienced leaders.
02
Practice
Interactive models, scenarios and exercises you work through.
03
Check
A knowledge check with an 80% pass mark and unlimited retakes.
04
Apply
A written assignment reviewed by your instructor.
The curriculum
The 8 classes
Critical Thinking
Think deliberately: elements of thought, intellectual standards, reasoning, learning styles, analytical techniques, fallacies, biases and creative thinking.
6 modules
Emotional Intelligence
Goleman's five components, conflict and negotiation, spheres of influence, preventing toxic leadership, and communicating to inform and persuade.
6 modules
Decision Making
A seven-step problem-solving process, planning team assignments on a deadline, a full team decision-making process, rehearsals and pre-execution checks.
2 modules
Leadership Application
Assess your skills, traits and personality, give and receive 360-degree feedback, build a self-development plan, and lead through intent with historical case studies.
4 modules
Planning
Set goals and manage time, analyze the environment, write and brief a five-paragraph plan, and implement it by training your team.
4 modules
Change Management
Lead the change that starts with your own arrival: take charge of a team, manage risk, build the team and learn from every event with after-action reviews.
4 modules
Mentoring
Develop the people you lead: build teams, motivate, use power and influence well, and counsel and coach with a proven four-stage process.
4 modules
Your instructor
MG (Ret.) Christopher P. Hughes, Ed.D.
Founder and CEO of The Way Forward. Over 35 years of military service, rising to Commanding General and leading soldiers in operations including the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
He led two of the country's most respected leader development programs, U.S. Army Cadet Command and the Command and General Staff College. Today he coaches C-suite executives, boards and organizational leaders.
Leadership is not a title; it is a commitment to serve, adapt, and inspire.
Enrollment
Develop your middle leaders — one class or the whole program
Enrolling a team? Email patrick@the-way-forward.com and we'll set up accounts and class access for your leaders.
Single class
$150per class
- Lifetime access to one class and all its modules
- Readings, videos, quizzes and assignments
- Upgrade to the full program later
Full program · 8 classes
$999one time
Save $201 — $125 a class instead of $150
- All 8 classes and 36 modules
- Save $201 compared with buying each class separately
- New modules as they release
- Program completion certificate