On 29-30 September 2026, the Professional Training Centre held a two-day training course, “Leadership for Managers”, for employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. The course focused on developing managerial competencies, strengthening effective teamwork and applying contemporary leadership approaches in a changing environment.

The course was delivered by Oleksandr Sudarkin - PhD in Economics, Master of Psychology, specialist in communications, leadership and organisational development, lecturer at the MIM Business School, Director of the MBA and pre-MBA Leadership programmes, and a regular guest lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine.

As part of the course, participants explored the characteristics of leadership across different management systems, including the centralised command-and-control approach and the decentralised mission command model. Particular attention was paid to the principles of agile, autonomous teams, the Hersey-Blanchard situational leadership model, and tools for employees’ professional development.

Through practical exercises and discussions, participants examined how leadership qualities are developed and what is expected of a modern manager. During group work, they identified a number of key leadership qualities, including responsibility, consistency, adaptability, empathy, decisiveness, strategic thinking, the ability to motivate a team, manage conflict and take responsibility for collective results.

A separate module focused on the factors that influence individual behaviour within an organisational structure. Participants examined dispositional, situational and systemic factors, as well as their impact on employee and team performance. This approach enabled them to consider management challenges not only in terms of individual characteristics, but also in the context of the working environment and the organisation as a whole.

The course programme also covered the setting of realistic team goals, overcoming process losses and improving the effectiveness of collaborative work. Participants explored motivation as one of the key tools available to managers, including in the context of the specific demands of Ukraine’s civil service amid Russia’s full-scale aggression.

The practical component included work with the “Growth Ladder” and “Values Compass” models, which helped participants reflect on professional development, motivation and a sense of purpose at work. On the second day of the course, further attention was  given to change management, overcoming resistance to change and the application of Kotter’s catalytic mechanisms.