Master Your Leadership

“I would absolutely recommend Master Your Leadership. Besides getting Degree Plus, you develop skills that you’ll use throughout your lifetime. For anyone that wants to build on their confidence it’s a great way of learning, especially when you’re getting mentored by other people such as the facilitators. They guide you so well and your team mates also teach you different things, especially given that everyone comes from different disciplines and we have different knowledge and techniques.” Georgios Varoutsos
MRES Sonic Arts, School of Arts, English and Languages

This programme offers recognition through the Graduate Plus award scheme. A number of 1:1 Coaching sessions are also available with one of the consultants once you have completed the programme.
Learn More about Graduate PlusAbout the Programme
Master Your Leadership helps postgraduate taught students develop and enhance their personal leadership skills and grow their networks in a rapidly changing world. Leadership in this new virtual world is about promoting collaboration and motivating yourself and others. This programme will help you to develop the skills and behaviours needed to take on these new leadership challenges.
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Programme Details
What’s Involved?
You will complete the Kouzes and Posner 360° Student Leadership Challenge (LPI) which will help you to tailor a personal development plan. Participate in online sessions, work in virtual teams on an Employer Challenge and take time for individual preparation and reflection. The Employer Challenge is a real-world problem that is set by an employer relating to their work. Your team will create solutions and present back to the employer for feedback. This will develop your skills against the Graduate School’s five pillars, making you a more effective Thinker, Leader, Communicator and Innovator who is Future-Ready.
The Kouzes and Posner Student Leadership Challenge
Grounded in 30 years of extensive research, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner have identified the 'Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership' that successful leaders display.
The Value of 360 degree feedback: Student LPI 360
Through participation in the Student LPI 360 Online, you will understand the specific behaviours and actions of exemplary leadership and identify your personal strengths and areas for improvement in relation to these. Research indicates that some people see themselves more positively than others see them, while others see themselves less positively than others do. 360 degree feedback provides an understanding of how a range of people perceive you.
Programme Structure
Each training day will include inspirational talks from both academic leaders and leaders from industry and the not-for-proft sector. The Kouzes and Posner model of leadership will be explored through practical exercises and case studies. There will be opportunities for you to explore your feedback from the 360 evaluation and to decide on areas for development going forward. Finally, you will be trained in specific skills relevant to leadership including the following areas:
- How to give and receive motivational and developmental feedback
- How to communicate with impact
- How to problem-solve in the workplace using structured methodologies
- How to create ideas that work
- How to be resilient
Employer Challenge
The Employer Challenge is a real-world problem that is set by an employer relating to their work. Your team will create solutions and present back to the employer for feedback. This will develop your skills against the Graduate School’s five pillars, making you a more effective Thinker, Leader, Communicator and Innovator who is Future-Ready.
- 2022 Cohort Dates
Cohort
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Cohort 1
28 September 2022
5 October 2022
12 October 2022
19 October 2022
26 October 2022
Cohort 2
29 September 2022
6 October 2022
13 October 2022
20 October 2022
27 October 2022
Cohort 3
30 September 2022
7 October 2022
14 October 2022
21 October 2022
28 October 2022
Cohort 4
2 November 2022
9 November 2022
16 November 2022
23 November 2022
30 November 2022
Cohort 5
3 November 2022
10 November 2022
17 November 2022
24 November 2022
1 December 2022
- Meet the Consultants
The programme is jointly led by Neil Whiteside and John Mackel, Postgraduate Training and Development Consultants at the Graduate School.
John is a professional Coach with nearly 40 years’ experience in supporting the development of individuals, teams and leaders in the public and private sectors. It is his role to facilitate the workshops and introduce you to a variety of different leadership concepts, theories and research perspectives that will support your leadership development journey.
Neil is a leadership and development consultant with over five years of experience in the education sector. He has delivered business and management courses at all levels, he has experience delivering in secondary, further, and higher education. Neil studied business and management at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He is a qualified teacher and assessor who spent over six years working in financial services before moving to education.