The development of an effective strategic leader in the volatile and challenging HE sector is rooted in their ability to connect with the institution’s purpose. It is through this connection that effective leaders steward organisational change, utilise emotional intelligence to hold uncertainty and complexity and proactively engage in adaptive and strategic responses to institutional and sector challenges.
Explore and develop your leadership identity.
Preparing for Senior Strategic Leadership provides participants with the opportunity to develop and reflect on their leadership identity. Participants will learn how to engage with their environment, their organisation, its culture, and its people. This provides participants with the skills to steward change, hold uncertainty and complexity, develop effective communication and collaboration skills and drive cultural development. The programme also provides an opportunity to plan personal development through group interaction and 360-degree feedback data.
Participants on Preparing for Senior Strategic Leadership have commented they really valued the opportunity to work collaboratively with peers from across the sector which improved their learning experience on the programme.
Who is Preparing for Senior Strategic Leadership for?
The programme has been designed for Heads of Departments, Schools, or academic subject centres; newly appointed Deans or those aspiring to the role; senior leaders up to and including Director or their direct reports in professional services such as HR, Finance, Estates, Marketing, Library or Student Support.
Preparing for Senior Strategic Leadership has been designed for operational managers who want to gain insight into the development of major strategic decisions in higher education institutions. The programme, which has been devised to be both challenging and empowering, emphasises innovation and creativity to facilitate effective and sustainable change.
It was a very thought provoking experience, that challenged my thinking in a period of much change for the sector. I took away a great deal and learned so much from others.
Jess Power, University of Salford
How is the programme delivered?
Preparing for Senior Strategic Leadership is a four-day programme consisting of:
- Workshops
- Group work
- An interactive forum theatre session
- Simulation exercises
- Action learning sessions
- A 360-degree diagnostic
Pre-work involving:
- A 360 Diagnostic and coaching feedback session
- Windows on Work Values Diagnostic
- Reading and reflection
What are the programme outcomes?
The Preparing for Senior Strategic Leadership programme provides participants with the opportunity to develop and reflect on their leadership identity. Participants will learn how to use narrative and stories to engage with their organisation and its people to develop shared purpose and collective commitment. This provides participants with the skills to steward change and hold complexity and uncertainty, develop effective communication and collaboration skills and drive cultural development. The programme also provides an opportunity to plan personal development through group interaction and 360-degree feedback data.
Participant Testimonial Blog
Preparing for Senior Strategic Leadership: finding space to lead
Professor Jess Power, Director of Learning and Teaching at the University of Salford, reflects on her experience of Advance HE’s Preparing for Senior Strategic Leadership programme.
Share and celebrate your achievements with digitally recognised learning
For much of our portfolio for 2025-26 the learning of event attendees and programme participants and conference, symposia and colloquia presenters will be digitally recognised.
This makes it easy for you to share and celebrate your achievements by adding them to your email signature or including them in your social profiles including Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Your learning certificates can also be easily verified and downloaded as a pdf.
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