Leadership and Diversity in Mining

The new generation of leaders in the mining industry will operate in a period of rapid technological and organisational change. You will need to adapt to new ways of working, contributing to organisational culture in a way that supports the business, with a focus on staff and other stakeholders. You may have seen your own managers do this well, or have noticed when they have not, and you may have wondered how to emulate or avoid certain approaches with your own teams.

This course introduces you to the knowledge and skills that will help you take the first self-reflective steps of moving beyond managing, and towards being an effective leader, including an understanding of the diverse work environment in which you operate. As a learner on Leadership and Diversity in Mining, you will explore a range of leadership concepts. You will learn how to apply these within your organisation, taking active consideration of the challenges and opportunities of a diverse, changing workforce.

Leadership and Diversity in Mining is one of six courses in the Foundations of Modern Mining Professional Certificate, an edX qualification that draws on the expertise of academics from Curtin University and the University of Queensland, also providing learners front-seat access to industry leaders and innovators. You will hear from a wide range of practitioners who will show you how effective leadership and diversity strategies draw on a deep-level understanding of the organisation and industry, the wider business and political context, and which rely heavily on leaders and teams who have self-insight and reflective abilities.

GETTING STARTED

This module introduces the course, including learning objectives, course team information and assessment outline. Here you will find information about the Professional Certificate in the Foundations of Modern Mining - this course is one of six that make up this optional study program. You can also take the opportunity to meet your peers who will be accompanying you on the learning journey through this course.

MODULE 1: What is leadership?

Here we explore common leadership frameworks and concepts. We consider the difference between leaders and managers, and ask ourselves ‘can everyone lead’? We get insights from industry professionals in revealing conversational interviews.

MODULE 2: Know thyself

In this module, look inward to understand and develop your own styles and approaches to leadership, as well as reflect on the importance of self-leadership. You will be invited to consider strategies for developing your own self-awareness and building a leadership plan. We also look at the different types of personalities and attributes that contribute to dynamic work teams.

MODULE 3: Organisational culture

Here we seek to understand the key elements influencing organisational culture and more specifically, the nature of organisations within the mining industry. How can you identify organizational culture as a new leader entering a workplace? What can you do to develop an appropriate and positive culture? How do diverse organisations come together to work in mining operations? Industry professionals will give us their views and opinions.

MODULE 4: Organisational diversity

This module raises some of the key aspects of diversity and inclusion in organisations and explores how these manifest themselves in the mining industry. We will explore perspectives regarding women in leadership, and the opportunities and challenges for gender equity. Cultural diversity in the workforce will be another focus, as well as the culture of different local contexts of mining operations. Indigenous perspectives will be presented. Does everyone lead in the same way? How are different people perceived in leadership roles? We will get some answers from within the industry.

MODULE 5: Leading technical teams

Together we will discover the essential elements of teams, and the particular challenges of working with technical and remote teams, as well as those working across various time zones. We will explore some strategies for improving motivation and engagement in your team and employees. Managing work relationships will be a key focus.

MODULE 6: Stakeholder engagement

In this module, we recognise the importance of engagement practices with internal stakeholders within organisations. How do we best work across boundaries in organisations? We study some ways to solve system related problems and break down enduring ‘silo’ cultures. How can you be a ‘change maker’? Industry voices will share their perspectives.

MODULE 7: Summary and future directions

In the final module, we will take some time to tie together the key themes of the course. We will envision likely changes and future trends in mining organisations and how to best prepare to lead such changes. You will also have the opportunity to reflect on how your own thinking may have changed throughout the course.