<h1>Leadership courses and consulting services</h1><p></p>

Within leadership courses and consulting/specialist services, SIMAC Training offers, among others, the following courses:

Leadership Training and Consultancy Services

At SIMAC Training, we offer leadership training programmes and consultancy services in close collaboration with psychologists Ivan Doulgerof and Frank Lamberg Nielsen.

Together, they are the authors of two manual-based leadership books on emergency preparedness and leadership—one aimed at navigators and one aimed at marine engineers. Both psychologists have backgrounds in operational leadership and extensive experience in managing acute critical situations in operational environments.

Building on this professional foundation, we design customized leadership training programmes, assessments, and development initiatives tailored to your organization’s specific needs, with or without psychologists serving as instructors, assessors, or consultants.

We deliver training wherever it makes the most sense for your organization. Programmes can be conducted at SIMAC, on-site at your premises, or at another external location, both nationally and internationally.

For a no-obligation discussion about your needs regarding training, assessment, leadership coaching, or development programmes, please contact SIMAC Training directly at training@simac.dk. We will work with you to design a programme that matches your organization and operational reality.

Leadership Courses and Consultancy Services

Consultancy Services

Leadership Courses and Consultancy Services

SIMAC Training offers consultancy services within leadership development, assessment, supervision, and professional development programmes in close collaboration with psychologists Ivan Doulgerof and Frank Lamberg Nielsen. Together, they are the authors of two manual-based leadership books on contingency preparedness for navigators and marine engineers, and they bring this expertise into practical, industry-focused programmes tailored to the maritime sector.

What We Offer

We develop programmes based on your specific needs, organizational structure, and operational environment. Services may include targeted leadership training, assessments, supervision, coaching, and development programmes for individuals, management teams, and organizations.

Our Approach

We combine operational understanding, psychological insight, and practical learning. This enables us to design programmes that strengthen both individual leadership capabilities and the overall leadership capacity of the organization.

Flexible Delivery

Programmes can be delivered with or without psychologists acting as instructors, assessors, or consultants. This provides flexibility to tailor the format, professional profile, and level of ambition to your specific requirements.

Relevant Services

• Customized leadership training

• Leadership assessment and evaluation

• Supervision and leadership coaching

• Development programmes for leaders and teams

• Consultancy on leadership in operational and high-pressure environments

Specialized Leadership Training for the Maritime Industry

Specialized Leadership Training for the Maritime Industry

SIMAC Training offers specialized leadership training for organizations and leaders operating in maritime and other operational environments. The programmes are developed on the basis of practical experience, operational expertise, and an understanding of the demands placed on leadership, decision-making, and teamwork under both routine and critical conditions. This professional focus is further supported by SIMAC’s publication portfolio within emergency preparedness and leadership.

Purpose

The purpose of the programmes is to strengthen leaders’ ability to provide direction, maintain decisiveness, and create stability in complex working environments where relationships, responsibilities, and decision-making have a significant impact on both safety and operational performance.

What Participants Will Gain

Participants will gain practical tools to work more consciously with leadership, communication, meetings, supervision, psychological resilience, and the management of challenging situations. Programmes can be tailored to both day-to-day leadership responsibilities and specific operational challenges.

Our Approach

Training is practical and adapted to the realities of the participants’ working environment. Depending on the objectives and target group, programmes may include reflection, case studies, practical exercises, observation, feedback, assessment, and individual development activities.

Format

Programmes can be delivered as open-enrolment courses, in-house company programmes, or customized development programmes. Training may be conducted in person, online, or as a blended learning programme.

Behaviour During Hijacking and Hostage Situations in Maritime Environments

Purpose and Course Content:

The purpose of the course is to strengthen participants’ ability to maintain composure, sound judgement, and operational effectiveness in situations characterized by extreme uncertainty, pressure, and dependence on others.

This course enhances participants’ ability to manage hijacking, hostage situations, and other extreme incidents in maritime environments. The focus is on knowledge, mental strategies, and behavioural approaches that can increase the likelihood of survival and improve interactions with hostage-takers, guards, and fellow hostages.

What Participants Will Gain

Participants will gain insight into their own behavioural and psychological responses, as well as the social dynamics that arise between hostages and hostage-takers. They will also acquire practical tools to support safety, survival, and psychological resilience.

Course Content

Topics include:

• Survival during hijacking and hostage situations

• Mental resilience under extreme pressure

• Interaction with hostage-takers, guards, and fellow hostages

• Individual and social reactions during captivity

• Behaviour, judgement, and decision-making in high-pressure situations

Training Methodology

The programme is delivered as an integrated maritime training course incorporating self-reflection, individual and group-based assignments, dilemmas, practical exercises, observation, and feedback.

The original course format is designed as a three-day programme for 6–12 participants.

Entry Requirements/Target Group:

The course is relevant for maritime managers and personnel who may be exposed to operational risk situations where mental resilience and appropriate behaviour are critical to safety and survival.

Duration:

3 days

Notes:

This course is offered on request only. For course dates and customized programmes, please contact SIMAC Training directly at training@simac.dk.

Leadership Under Pressure: Crisis Management, Meeting Facilitation and Executive Coaching

Purpose and Course Content:

This page brings together three related areas of leadership development: leadership in acute critical situations, professional meeting facilitation, and targeted leadership coaching and supervision.

Purpose

The purpose is to strengthen leaders’ ability to maintain situational awareness, provide direction, and act effectively in both day-to-day leadership and situations involving increased pressure and complexity.

What Participants Will Gain

Participants will gain practical tools to:

• Act more confidently in acute and critical situations

• Regain self-control and create calm and stability for others

• Facilitate meetings with clear direction and productive outcomes

• Manage resistance, conflict, and challenging group dynamics

• Develop their leadership practice through coaching and supervision

Course Content

The programme brings together three core themes:

Leadership in Acute Critical Situations

Focus on operational effectiveness, action orientation, self-control, and teamwork in life-threatening or highly demanding environments.

Meeting Facilitation

Focus on problem-solving meetings, practical meeting leadership, and the management of resistance and interpersonal friction among participants.

Leadership Coaching and Supervision

Focus on leadership challenges, personal development, and the interaction between leaders, employees, and the wider organization. Supervision may be case-based, person-focused, or oriented towards roles and organizational structures.

Format

Programmes may be delivered as training courses, coaching sessions, or customized development programmes.

Typical formats include:

• 3 days of classroom-based training for Leadership in Acute Critical Situations

• 2 days for Meeting Facilitation

• 10 supervision sessions of 60 minutes each, delivered online and/or in person

Entry Requirements/Target Group:

The programme is relevant for leaders, middle managers, and key personnel seeking to strengthen their leadership practice in critical, interpersonal, and organizational contexts.

Notes:

Programmes can be tailored to the specific needs of individuals, teams, and organizations and may be delivered in person, online, or as a blended learning solution. For course dates and customized programmes, please contact SIMAC Training directly at training@simac.dk.

Psychological First Aid and Defusing

Purpose and Course Content:

This course provides participants with knowledge and practical tools for supporting individuals who have been psychologically affected by critical incidents.

The purpose of the course is to strengthen participants’ ability to respond to people experiencing acute psychological distress in a calm, structured, and supportive manner.

What Participants Will Gain

Participants will gain insight into psychological reactions to crises and disasters and will develop practical skills in psychological first aid and defusing techniques. Upon completion of the course, participants will be better equipped to:

• Identify common crisis reactions

• Provide early psychological support

• Reduce uncertainty, ambivalence, and distress

• Prevent panic and psychological breakdown

• Create a greater sense of safety and stability during the initial phase following a critical incident

Course Content

Topics include:

• Crisis and disaster psychology

• Psychological first aid as a complement to physical first aid

• Defusing as an early structured intervention

• Practical techniques that support stabilization and situational awareness

• Theory, practical exercises, simulations, and feedback

Format

The programme is delivered as a practical, experience-based course combining theoretical instruction with individual and group assignments, dilemmas, simulated exercises, observation, and feedback.

The original course format is designed as a 3-day programme.

Entry Requirements/Target Group:

The course is relevant for employees and managers who may come into contact with individuals affected by critical incidents or highly stressful situations.

Duration:

3 days

Notes:

The course can be adapted to the specific needs of organizations and operational environments and focuses on practical application of psychological support techniques in real-world situations. For course dates and customized programmes, please contact SIMAC Training directly at training@simac.dk.

Assessment for Promotion Suitability

Purpose and Course Content:

The purpose of the assessment is to evaluate whether a candidate possesses the personal, professional, and leadership capabilities required to succeed in a role with increased responsibility.

The programme is designed for organizations seeking a qualified and well-rounded basis for evaluating candidates for new leadership positions. Depending on the specific role and organizational requirements, the assessment may include leadership, interpersonal, and operational competencies.

What the Organization and Candidate Gain

The assessment provides a stronger decision-making foundation for promotion, succession planning, and talent development.

At the same time, the candidate gains valuable insight into personal strengths, development areas, and readiness for a new role.

The programme can be tailored to evaluate both leadership potential and personal competencies, as well as professional and operational performance in realistic work-related situations.

Assessment Content

The assessment programme may include:

• Structured interviews

• Psychometric and semi-projective assessments

• Individual assignments and autobiography exercises

• Leadership dilemmas

• Role-play exercises and observation

• Personal assessment report, feedback, and development plan

• Evaluation of professional and operational competencies through simulated scenarios

Focus Areas

Assessment may include evaluation of:

• Personality and self-regulation

• Cognitive capacity

• Interpersonal competencies

• Situational awareness

• Leadership judgement

• Potential for future leadership roles

• Professional and operational qualifications relevant to the specific position

Professional and Operational Assessment in Simulator

Assessment is not limited to leadership and interpersonal competencies. Where relevant, it may also include an evaluation of professional and operational performance, for example within Bridge Team Management and Ship Handling, using SIMAC’s full-mission bridge simulator.

Relevant subject-matter instructors are involved in the process, and students may be used as role players to create realistic scenarios and an assessment programme tailored to the customer’s specific requirements.

Format

The assessment can be conducted as a 2-day online or in-person programme, including feedback and reporting.

Programmes are generally designed for one participant at a time and are tailored to the specific position, organizational requirements, and desired assessment objectives.

Entry Requirements/Target Group:

The programme is relevant for organizations working strategically with promotion, leadership development, succession planning, and the assessment of leadership potential.

It is particularly valuable when there is a need for a comprehensive evaluation of a candidate’s leadership, personal, professional, and operational capabilities.