Students from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) course attended a graduation ceremony yesterday evening at TLC Business Solutions for their certificate presentation. The presentation was followed by a talk at the Palace Hotel by David Pardey Senior Manager of Research and Policy at ILM who spoke on the subject of Emotional Intelligence and Leadership. The Institute of Leadership and Management is a nationally recognised professional body that supports the ongoing development of leaders and managers. A series of ILM courses are offered locally by TLC Business Solutions, covering the areas of team leading, first line management, coaching and senior management. Shelley Parkinson, Business Development Manager at ILM who came to the island for the presentation said: “I am pleased to be here for the presentation. I would like to congratulate the students on their commitment to the hard work that it takes to receive these qualifications. The ILM certificates are challenging at all levels and it is a big achievement to be able to learn the skills involved and use them everyday in practice.” The talk at the Palace Hotel immediately following the presentation focused on leader and manager mentality. David Pardey is responsible for researching the reality of leadership and management in practice today and proposing areas for improvement. He spoke about the psychology of the subject, with particular reference to the structure of the brain and how theory is different from reality. The audience was invited to take part in some behavioural exercises to illustrate the point that human behaviour is often non-rational. TLC Business Solutions has been offering ILM accredited programmes since 2004 with the Department of Economic Development offering financial support to those that attend. She commented, “It is great to see so many local professionals gain qualifications in this subject. Leadership and management is an important aspect of business today and it is vital that we continue investing in the Island’s employees so that we can create the very best leaders and managers for the future.” For more information on ILM certified courses, visit www.tlc.co.im. Ends