Leadership needs to be learned. Our Global Leadership Programs enable that.
Programs for managers
Learning to lead
Our global KWS leadership programs offer diverse learning opportunities for new or experienced managers of a team or unit, as well as for future managers.
Managers don’t just have the tasks and duties related to leading their own team and successfully accomplishing agreed goals. They also have to shoulder responsibility, take people and their needs seriously, know their strengths and assign them correctly, and develop and motivate them. To do this, it is important to communicate empathetically and moderate conflicts skillfully, while exemplifying and conveying the company’s values. A successful manager influences employees’ commitment, encourages their development and supports them in tackling change.
Being able to lead also means being able to fulfill the evolving requirements demanded of the management role, because leadership is always changing – so life-long learning and trying things out are important success factors. KWS offers appropriate further training programs for the various levels.
“I completed Leading Individuals last year and the Leadership Essentials Program this year. Both training courses are a very useful complement to each other. Leading Individuals focuses on the individuality of the team members, the differences in their needs and the leadership of each individual employee. Leadership Essentials provides an important toolbox for transitioning to a leadership position, challenges in day-to-day management, delegating tasks, performance assessment and team building, as well as the development of individual members.”
Bettina Sannemann, Lead of CRM,
Global Marketing and Communications
Learning to lead yourself
In the face of an increasingly complex working world and constant new challenges, the ability to lead yourself is becoming ever more important. This is particularly true for managers, because only those who are able to lead themselves will be able to do the same with others. Self-leadership means steering your emotions and your own behavior in the right direction through self-reflection, critically questioning your own conduct and adapting it if necessary. Our program “Leading Self: 7 Habits for Highly-effective People” is a good place to start. Other skills training courses, such as on strengthening resilience, communication or dealing with conflicts, offer a useful means of deepening your knowledge.
Preparation for a possible management role
Moving to a management position is not always easy, as you are no longer tasked with only achieving your own goals, but also with empowering and supporting others. If you want to develop toward your first management role, you need to be clear about these new requirements in order to explore whether becoming a manager accords with your own interests and strengths.
Our two-day “Emerging Leaders” training course, which is available in English or German, addresses fundamental questions: How do I contribute to the success of my team and therefore of the company in my role? How do I lead and motivate others, assign them to suit their abilities and provide feedback?
“The great thing about the Leading Leaders training is not just the well-structured content of the course, but rather the insights we all took home from each other’s experiences in difficult situations. This network of peers you build during the event is very valuable for future interactions within our company.”
Martin De Vos, Head of Research,
Business Unit Vegetables
Starting out as a manager
The basic program for every KWS manager is the Leadership Essentials Program. This is where all new managers, as well as those who have had no previous training in leadership competencies, learn the basic skills and methods. The program trains and develops them in their role over a period of around three months. Various development elements are combined for this purpose, such as in-person training, practical application, evaluation and analysis, as well as the sharing of experience. In addition to formal training, reflection and learning from each other are a key focus here.
A new feature is that the training is offered in various languages and countries. In addition to German and English, it is already available in Dutch and French at present. Starting in the fall, there will also be courses in Spanish and Serbo-Croatian. “Many employees wanted to take the training in their own language,” explains Stefanie Diehl, Expert Performance, Talent and Employee Development. “Courses in other languages are already in preparation.”
More experienced managers can later use the “Leading Individuals” training to deepen the content they have already learned and share ideas with other more experienced managers.
Leading managers
The next level is then leading other managers. This can be a challenge at the beginning, as it is particularly important to develop and strengthen the leadership skills of others. That also includes strategically aligning your own organization, disengaging yourself more from operational issues, delegating tasks and devoting more time to pure management duties. Suitable candidates for management positions should also be selected and developed in their leadership role. The Leading Leaders Program lasts around four months and helps to strengthen the relevant skills and build an international network with other managers. That is why the program is offered in English.
All training courses relating to the various programs are available in SuccessFactors Learning. If you have any questions or are interested in a training course, please send an e-mail to learning@kws.com. |
OUTLOOK
Leadership at KWS
These competencies are the basis of the development programs.
Have we whet your appetite?
You can read more on the subject in one of the next issues of insideKWS and on the intranet.
Are you a manager yourself?
You can find KWS Leadership Capability Model Workshops on the SuccessFactors Learning platform.
© KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA 2025
