Emerging Leaders Program
The MAPPS Emerging Leaders Program is designed to identify, develop, and empower the next generation of leaders within the geospatial community. This program provides early- to mid-career professionals with the tools, knowledge, and connections they need to grow personally and professionally, while preparing them to take on greater leadership roles within their organizations and the industry.
Participants will engage in a mix of mentorship, peer networking, skill-building workshops, and strategic initiatives that focus on leadership development, industry trends, and association engagement. The program also offers unique opportunities to connect with current MAPPS leadership and contribute to the future direction of the association.
Whether you're looking to enhance your leadership capabilities, expand your professional network, or get more involved in the geospatial profession, the Emerging Leaders Program is your pathway to making a lasting impact.
Learn about the many classes offered through the Emerging Leaders Program at the MAPPS Winter and Summer Conferences:
Leadership Fundamentals - The intent of this course would be to provide upcoming leaders the foundational understanding of the practices and principles necessary toward developing their effectiveness as a leader. Topics may include problem solving and decision making, team building and group dynamics, negotiation and conflict management, and organizational change management. The goal of this course is to begin to provide upcoming leaders with the confidence needed to face the broad range of leadership challenges they will face.
Business Ethics - Examines the role and purpose of ethics in business. The objective of this course is to increase the understanding of ethical issues and the responsibilities of business leaders to be vigilant in implementing policies and procedures that will serve to continually improve corporate ethics, governance, and social responsibility.
Contract Risk Mitigation - Examines the various components of a service contract and identifies those areas that could serve to increase the contractor's risk followed by proven tactics to minimize and/or eliminate them.
Finance for the Non-Financial Manager - The purpose of this course is to provide attendees a working knowledge of business finances. Course topics would include a discussion of key financial terms (e.g. assets, liabilities, capital, depreciation, current ratio, etc.), basic accounting principles, understanding the content and format of financial reports, cash flow: understanding where it comes from and how it is applied, using the balance sheet to examine assets and liabilities, etc. and how to cultivate working relationships with financial professionals.
Managerial Accounting - The purpose of this course is to provide an understanding of how accounting information can improve decision-making in areas such as planning, organizing, and controlling. Topics of discussion should include cost-volume-profit relationships, preparing and using cash flow statements, budgeting and profit planning, etc.
Marketing - Ineffective or no marketing can significantly limit the success of any company. The purpose of this course is to present how important a well-structured marketing plan is regardless of company size. The discussion will include current principles and knowledge needed to optimize marketing efforts and deliver bottom-line contributions to any organization. Specifically, discussion topics should include: marketing fundamentals, how to create brand loyalty, developing a marketing strategy, leveraging social media to engage clients and build brand, marketing budgets, and strategic marketing to bulletproof the competition.
Operations Management - Examines the techniques and tools to design, analyze, and improve core operational capabilities. Covers topics in production control, quality management, process design and implementation, and revenue management. Further, the course would include how the above topics are integrated with various other business functions (e.g. finance, marketing, R&D, etc.).
Sales Management - Provides insight and guidance into a number of issues required to develop and maintain a highly motivated a winning sales team. Topics to include but not limited to: running effective sales meetings, motivating sales professionals, techniques to hiring only the best, selecting and implementing CRM technologies, team building, incentive plans/options, virtues of a successful salesperson, and managing in time of change.
Business Law - Starting and running a small business requires a very broad skill set and nerves of steel. It's not for everyone, and even successful entrepreneurs encounter failure from time to time. In order to help you stay ahead of the curve, This Small Business Law curriculum covers everything from hiring employees to choosing the right insurance policies and a basic understanding of your legal risks and responsibilities as a business owner or manager. Those who operate small businesses typically wear many different hats, but also must know when and how to seek help from others.
Negotiation & Diplomacy Skills - This course provides the essential skills for navigating complex negotiations and building strong, productive relationships. Participants will learn key techniques in negotiation tactics, conflict resolution, and diplomacy to effectively manage high-stakes discussions with clients, partners, and stakeholders.
Communication Skills Boot Camp - How well you communicate can make or break your professional image. This course is designed to give participants a solid foundation in essential communication skills and competencies. Topics may include interpersonal communications, public speaking, how to prepare effective presentations, interviews, performance evaluations, importance of body language, conflict resolution, and strategies on communicating with diplomacy, tact, and credibility. Individual communication styles and how to recognize them and manage/communicate with those people through practice sessions and role play will provide participants with the confidence to keep their careers moving ahead.
Project Management - Successful projects do not just occur by luck or by change. In order to deliver a project that meets the schedule, budget, and performance objectives, the project manager must be able to organize, plan, implement, and control the required tasks. This course will introduce participants to the tools and concepts such as project charter, scope statement, work breakdown structure, and project estimating and scheduling that can be used to guide a project through the maze of challenges to successful completion.
Analytics for Business Forecasting – This course is designed to equip emerging leaders in the geospatial industry with the essential skills and knowledge to leverage data-driven insights for better decision-making. Through this program, participants will gain a deep understanding of advanced analytics techniques used in business forecasting, helping them make informed predictions about market trends, resource allocation, and business growth.