Central Ohio Tech Leaders Program

The Central Ohio Tech Leaders program is an elite leadership development program designed to develop the leaders who serve as the foundation for the Central Ohio tech ecosystem. The program establishes a forum where the next 'class' of Ohio technology leaders can grow in their current roles and serve as a critical foundation for business success as they develop for future roles.

Overview

This monthly event brings together fifty selected technology mid-level managers in Ohio for formal leadership training, wisdom sharing from guest speakers, and interactive peer discussions. The in-person program is augmented by a robust online platform to support learning and development. In addition, a focused approach toward diversity and inclusion has been incorporated into the recruitment of class participants.

This community has donated over $56,000 to the CIO Forum's college education scholarship fund. Check out our offerings and consider joining this inspiring community. 

Program Comparison

In-Person - Central Ohio Tech Leaders Comprehensive Program Details 2024/2025

 

  • Sept - Program introduction and CIO discussion, and Q&A with Ben Blanquera

  • Oct - Introduction to Leadership and Foundation with Innovative Leadership Institute (ILI)

  • Nov -  Leadership Maturity, creating a structured path for development with ILI

  • (TBA) - Social event with TechStrategy (Location TBD)

  • December - no class

  • Jan - Peer roundtable discussion, Tech Leader discussion, and Q&A 

  • Feb - Communication Skills training with Innovative Leadership Institute

  • March - Peer roundtable discussion, Tech Leader discussion, and Q&A 

  • April  - Conflict Management training with Innovative Leadership Institute

  • May - Engagement and Building a Culture of Innovation with ILI

  • June - Workforce Development training with ILI and the City of Dublin Workforce Development initiatives

  • July - no class

  • August - Peer roundtable discussion, Tech Leader discussion, and Q&A 

Certification

Participants will earn certification from the program by attending at least seven of ten class sessions and completing all six deliverable assignments. The Mason Leadership Center at Franklin University and the Innovative Leadership Institute jointly issue the certification.

The Innovative Leadership Institute is partnering with Franklin University to offer a discount for a broad range of educational opportunities, including but not limited to MBA programs.

Program Outcomes

  • 250 participants in the first four cohorts, representing 119 Ohio organizations
  • 162 of the first 250 participants have received a certification of completion
  • $56,000 has been raised so far for the Central Ohio CIO Forum Scholarship Fund from the first five cohorts
  • 60+ of the first 150 participants (40%+) have had a promotion since the first cohort started
  • Eight have been promoted to a C-Level role - CIO, CTO, CISO, Chief Strategy, or Chief Transformation Officer
  • Eight have graduated from the Advanced Leadership Development Program.

Remote Advanced Innovative Leadership Development Program (ALDP) Details 2024/2025 

The ALDP program is a follow-on course for the Central Ohio Tech Leaders Program. This program has expanded to include cross-functional leaders to help leaders build business acumen. 

It focuses on your preparation for career advancement, including joining the leadership team.

It is also designed to accelerate your leadership career advancement by learning and practicing advanced leadership tools. Admission to this program is contingent on graduating from the foundation Tech Leaders program or application approval for senior leaders who didn't attend the foundation course.  

Maureen Metcalf, Founder & CEO of the Innovative Leadership Institute (ILI), leads this program.

It is nine months in duration, with a class size of up to 10-15 participants, and includes:

  • Nine monthly sessions,
    • Target date - first Thursday of each month in the afternoon. 
    • virtual sessions  allow for participants beyond Columbus
    • requiring an average of eight hours of preparation work in advance of each session (two hours per week)
  • ILI Leadership Competency Assessments, pre & post-program measurement of leadership behaviors
  • Two one-on-one sessions with the program's facilitator applying the concepts and models in the industry
  • Ongoing collaboration with a peer mentor to enhance learning, mindset, and behavior change
  • Individual journaling reviews and feedback from the ILI program leaders
  • ILI Advanced Innovative Leadership Certification

The program cost is $3,750 per participant and includes all individual assessments for baselining and measuring progress; total online access to the ILI learning platform with proprietary and non-proprietary leadership content (international award-winning book series, workbooks, videos, articles, and leadership interviews); expert instruction; homework reviews and feedback; monthly virtual meeting setup and operation.

ILI has taught this evolving approach in MBA Programs for over 15 years. 

2024-5 ADLP Program Flow

Session 1 – Program Kickoff, Peer Mentor Assignment, Introductory Discussions, and Leadership Developmental Framework Review

Session 2  – Innovative Leadership Transformation Process and Developmental Basics

Session 3  – Competing Commitments

Session 4  – Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Session 5  – Mid-Point Calibration and Integration

Session 6  – Political Savvy and Executive Presence

Session 7 – Diversity and Inclusion Panel / Discussion of foundational principles for effective DE&I initiatives (moving beyond a check-list mentality)

Session 8 – Navigating Polarities

Session 9 – Leadership Readiness Simulation and Program Wrap-up

The IT Leaders Program is building a community of elite technology leaders. Participants who complete the course work recieve a certification from the Innovative Leadership Institute and Franklin Universities Mason Leadership Center. They also join the active IT Leaders Alumni Community.