The Certificate in Public Leadership
Add distinction and prestige to your resume with this unique credential designed especially for government executives. Gain an enduring network of key contacts as you develop the skills and mindset you will need to rise through the ranks of public service.
There is no timeline or sequence for Certificate studies—start when it is most convenient for you, select your own curriculum based on your strengths or development needs, and finish when budgets allow.
The Certificate in Public Leadership is open to government managers and executives GS-13 to SES.
Download the CPL brochure »
Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Terry Morris »
Requirements
Twenty (20) days of Brookings Executive Education classes are required. Talk to us about your personalized program of study; we will be happy to help you customize a curriculum based on your learning objectives and personal needs.
The curriculum includes two required courses (eight days total):
The remaining 12 study days can be spent at any Brookings course, including custom programs. There is no time limit or sequence for completing the 20 days of classroom learning. Enrollment is required; you may receive credit for courses attended within a two-year period prior to enrollment. Programs we custom deliver to your organization also count.
Active participation in the classroom is required; a final three- to five-page essay describing the new knowledge you have acquired and how you have applied it is also required.
Key Benefits
- A unique credential from a world-renowned public policy and research organization
- Each course is linked to the core competencies outlined by the Office of Personnel Management
- Program content matched to a range of career levels and skill sets
- A flexible timeframe that enables participants to study as their time and budget allow
- Interaction with Brookings experts, scholars, and analysts who shape America's future
- Certificate holders may consider themselves Brookings Executive Associates, and are part of the Brookings Executive Network, including invitations to special seminars and functions
- Training Officers: The Certificate curriculum dovetails with the requirements of many agency executive development programs and may be used to develop your agency’s next SES cadre.
Curriculum
Two required courses underpin the Certificate curriculum: Public Leadership 21C (or Executive Leadership in America for senior leaders) and Ethics in Action: Leading with Integrity. These courses provide an intensive and in-depth examination of critical leadership competencies, equipping participants to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing public leaders today. Our foundational leadership courses have been carefully designed to broaden participants' comprehension and skills at challenging stages of their careers. This foundation also provides a renewed and enhanced perception of public service values.
Certificate candidates may choose their remaining 12 days of coursework from among any of our course offerings. Custom programs may also fulfill the elective requirement. Participants are encouraged to enroll in the programs that match their strengths, personal or professional goals, interests, or development needs.
Brookings Executive Network
The network of contacts and colleagues you will gain—the Brookings Executive Network—is a key benefit to participating in the Certificate program. Your colleagues, from dozens of departments, agencies and organizations, can become a valuable resource as you advance your career and seek new and thriving networks.
Several times each year, we provide opportunities for Brookings Executive Associates to attend special networking and educational events, designed specifically to keep you connected and informed.
Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Terry Morris
Terry Morris is a man of many interests. When he's not speaking on philanthropy and community service at agencies across the nation, Dr. Morris can be found working as Manager for Integrated Hazard Analysis at NASA Langley Research Center. Recipient of the White House's National CFC Hero Award and NASA's Exceptional Achievement Medal, Dr. Morris holds a Ph.D. in system engineering from the University of Virginia. In addition, he's earned the Certificate in Public Leadership from Brookings Executive Education.
In a recent interview, Dr. Morris reflected on his experience at Brookings Executive Education, and how the process of earning his certificate has influenced his career.
How would you describe the value of Brookings Executive Education to potential participants?
The primary value is knowledge of the federal system as a whole. I believe it depends on where you reside in the federal government hierarchy. Political appointees, for instance, can gain an understanding of civil servants and the Senior Executive Service (SES). SES members and civil servants can gain a better appreciation of political appointees and the perspective they bring. Executive leaders can judge the effectiveness of individual and organizational solutions they’ve employed and can receive alternative perspectives from different government agencies and other national experts. Organizational managers and team leaders can gain a perspective of the larger system, which provides insight to policy decisions. All of these players, while leading, managing or regulating only a part of the federal system, gain value by seeing the federal government as a whole. Truly, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Better decisions come out of holistic integrated environments. Brookings Executive Education helps to create such an holistic environment.
What benefits or qualities led you to choose our Certificate in Public Leadership?
I chose the Certificate of Public Leadership because of the insights gained from conversing with top executives and leaders throughout the federal government. In my experience, there is no replacement for being in the room with a leader. Additionally, the flexibility of course offerings coupled with the independent perspective that Brookings embodies provided a perfect fit to meet my personal needs as an emerging leader.
Are there any qualities or attributes that you believe distinguish Brookings Executive Education programs from other programs you have attend?
In the current world of partisan politics, where sharp allegiances and divisions separate the body politic, it has been comforting to know that Brookings Executive Education prides itself on independence. By supporting the merits that exist within competing world views, you have provide a perspective that respects and extracts lessons from history and encourages forward, independent thinking while expressing strategies that help senior and executive leaders tackle issues in the current political environment. I will always value the independence that Brookings Executive Education brings to its courses.
Can you share an example of how you have applied the knowledge gained in our programs to improve your own organization?
Several Brookings Executive Education courses that focused on effective communications across generational lines and the differences between managers and influence leaders proved extremely beneficial while working on a large NASA exploration program. Strategies and tactics from these courses provided insight into generational perspectives, organizational expectations and the effective use of leverage in organizational negotiations. After applying these strategies, my team was able to achieve a manifold increase in productivity. Previous obstacles that beforehand seemed insurmountable were overcome through the application of these strategies. The courses, in essence, gave us “new eyes”. We could see obstacles differently which helped us carve out new and effective solutions that worked. We achieved a significant return on the Brookings Executive Education investment.
Could you please share your most memorable moment at a Brookings Executive Education program?
My most memorable moment occurred while attending an Ethics in Action course. In a presentation entitled "Speaking Truth to Power," when the speaker relayed to the audience how each person has to decide "what they want to do" or "who they want to be." Even before this presentation, I decided that I wanted to be a person of character with ethics and integrity regardless of the political environment. But this presentation encouraged me to continue to improve myself and my organization for the better, and motivated me to be a better leader. My most memorable moment at Brookings Executive Education can be summed up by saying, “because of the freedoms we enjoy, our government is worth the sacrifice.”
Have you found that being among your fellow government employees in our programs has been a benefit? If yes, how so?
Learning with fellow leaders in the federal government has been a tremendous benefit to me. Very few organizations serve to bring together diverse federal executives and leaders in a single place for a common purpose. Brookings Executive Education is one such organization. There is benefit in seeing that diverse organizations experience some of the same problems. Only through this sharing can we begin to acknowledge effective solutions at the system level which may require liaisons among agencies, changes to organizational structure, or modifications to cultural paradigms.
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