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Management Development Centers
Our Courses

The Open Enrollment Courses


Great leaders are made, not born. Whether a new supervisor or a seasoned executive, you can always enhance your leadership and management skills. Our open enrollment programs offer the opportunity to do so throughout the course of your career.

  • Network with peers from all branches of Government at our outstanding residential learning environments in Aurora, Colorado and Shepherdstown, West Virginia and at other locations around the United States.
  • Participate in highly interactive, intensive training conducted by experts in Federal Government development.
  • Put your classroom experience to immediate use, improving your organization and advancing your career.
  • Focus on contemporary leadership challenges through the perspective of public service and Constitutional values. The five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), comprising 28 competencies, form the foundation of our respected curriculum. Used in the selection, development and performance management systems throughout Government, the ECQs also represent guideposts on the path to career and organizational success.

RECOMMENDED COURSES

For more than 45 years, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has trained Federal managers and executives to be effective Government leaders. We recognize the need for leadership at all levels, encompassing the many roles that influence, create and implement good governance. We seek to empower Federal leaders by providing career-long training that enlightens and fortifies them on their Leadership Journey.

What makes our training programs unique is how they address contemporary leadership challenges through a perspective of public service and Constitutional values. The five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), and comprising 28 competencies, form the foundation of our respected curriculum. Used in selection, development and performance management systems throughout Government, the ECQs also represent guideposts on the path to career and organizational success.

Leadership Journey Chart Displaying How OPM's Leadership Training Addresses Government Context, Leadership Roles, and Leadership Challenges

What Distinguishes OPM's Leadership Training Programs

Our Mission: We are the Federal Government's human resource agency. We established the ECQs and designed the leadership framework that builds on them. We know what works in Government because we are the Government.

Our Approach: We have a public service orientation grounded in the latest public and private research on leadership development. We integrate policy and public governance into the development of effective leadership practices. Our training speaks the language and shares the values and concepts of government.

OPM's competency-based learning experiences in professional, residential environments foster the exchange of ideas, best practices and resources, and the development of cross-agency networks and partnerships.

Our History: We have defined what it means to be a Federal leader for five decades. The collective experiences and insights of thousands of Federal leaders who have implemented Government policies and have taken our courses are integrated into our programs.

Our Convenience: Since we are a Government organization, processes such as payment, training forms and applications are more easily shared and managed across agencies.

A Phased Approach to Higher Performance and Career Advancement

Our Core Leadership Curriculum stands as one of the most successful training programs ever conceived for Federal leaders. In our multi-phase approach, participants are engaged in a career-long process of leadership development.

Beginning with the foundational Collaborative Leadership Seminar and culminating with the highly regarded Leadership for a Democratic Society program, leaders prepare for progressively higher levels of responsibility, while ensuring their agencies have an effective blueprint for succession planning.

As you study the catalog, you’ll find some changes in our programming. In our continuing efforts to provide up-to-date and cutting-edge leadership development programs, we have revised the names of some courses to reflect changes in course content or focus.

The Core Leadership Curriculum Continuum offers intense, transformational classes that build on each other and offer insight into the increasing complexity of Government service as you move along your Leadership journey. See the below table for a list of courses.

The Core Leadership Curriculum Continuum
Leadership Roles Courses
Individual Leader Collaborative Leadership Seminar: Working with Others
Team Leader Team Development Seminar
Supervisor Supervisory Development Seminar I: Supervision Fundamentals

Supervisory Development Seminar II: Learning to Lead
Manager Management Development Seminar I: Leading from the Middle

Management Development Seminar II: Leading Organizations
Executive Executive Development Seminar: Leading Change

Leadership for a Democratic Society