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FORT KNOX, Kentucky -- Classes have already filled up for a first-of-its-kind Fort Knox Garrison Leadership Academy, scheduled to be held in Fort Knox's Stewart Training Center March 8.
The Garrison Leadership Academy seats 12 garrison personnel for an eight-week course that covers topics ranging from basic leadership styles to developing a team concept to deciding acceptable levels of risk.
According to Randy Moore, director of the Fort Knox Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, the course is a result of popular demand.
"These are new and emerging leaders, new supervisors, people new to our organization or even new to the government -- and they're asking for this type of [training]," said Moore. "It's to assist them in their daily duties as leaders, and it's for those who want to be better leaders."
Moore said that while the academy is driven for new leaders, there is also an option for veteran leaders to attend.
"If you're someone who'd like to learn new things or refresh new concepts, we're not turning anyone away," Moore said. "It's not just for civilians but anyone assigned to the Garrison."
Military and civilian personnel who were part of the beta test in July 2018 gave the course high marks.
Besides being valuable to individual leaders, Moore said the corporate benefit of the course could be invaluable to Fort Knox's future.
"This is a professional development [issue]: to coach, teach and mentor new leaders," Moore said. "By getting leaders off on the right foot, we're strengthening the bench and supporting the leaders who will take care of the workforce for years and for perpetuity."
Moore said that, with the course being a professional development opportunity, it's about including people who want to participate.
"Supervisors may recommend employees," Moore said. "Ideally, we're looking for people who want to do it. Our goal is not to leave anyone out. Our goal is to take anyone who self nominates."
Moore said they've tried their best to schedule the school so as not to detract from office work or disrupt the lives of employees outside of work.
"It's eight sessions with four 90-minute 'lunch-and-learns' that rotate every other week with an eight hour block of instruction, so there's not a huge commitment every day where you're taken out of the work force," Moore said.
One strength of the course, Moore said, will be its dynamic.
"Those who come through the program will walk away with a physical toolkit of these concepts that they can refer to from time to time, but this is not just 'death by PowerPoint' or 'lecture ad nauseam,'" said Moore. "This is getting out of your comfort zone, role playing, activities-based, practical exercises, and other things that I don't want to give away.
Moore said though the spring class is filled, employees have an opportunity to register for the fall class, slated to begin in the October/November timeframe.
"There's no downside to this. It's not an opportunity to fail but only to gain knowledge," Moore said. "We hope this will make [employees] more effective leaders, and thereby make them more competitive for future promotions."
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