Transformative change in higher education, whether cultural, academic, financial or organisational, depends on leaders’ ability to engage in conversations that are honest, purposeful and human. These conversations surface assumptions, build trust, challenge unhelpful patterns and enable people to move forward together.
This workshop develops leaders’ capability to lead transformative conversations in complex higher education environments. It supports leaders to approach conversations that matter with clarity, confidence and care, particularly in situations involving change, performance, conflict, uncertainty or differing values.
The emphasis is on practical skill building, self-awareness and application to real leadership challenges. Participants explore how to prepare for and conduct meaningful conversations that support progress, strengthen relationships and enable constructive outcomes, even when issues are sensitive or difficult.
Workshops
Event type
Workshop
Event times
Thu 19 Nov 2026 – Thu 19 Nov 2026
Event prices
| Leadership Skills: Leading Transformative Conversations 26/27: Early Booking Member ticket | Member Ticket (Early Bird) | £215 |
| Leadership Skills: Leading Transformative Conversations 26/27: Member ticket | Member Ticket | £225 |
| Leadership Skills: Leading Transformative Conversations 26/27: Early Booking Non-Member ticket | Non-Member Ticket (Early Bird) | £285 |
| Leadership Skills: Leading Transformative Conversations 26/27: Non-Member ticket | Non-Member ticket | £300 |
Workshop 2
Date – 17 February 2027
Workshop 3
Date – 19 May 2027
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the workshop, participants will:
- Increase confidence in leading challenging and meaningful conversations
- Strengthen their ability to influence, align, and support others through dialogue
- Develop practical tools for leading conversations that enable change and growth
- Apply learning directly to their own leadership context within higher education
Workshop content
How the workshops work
Duration: 3 hours per workshop, delivered fully online
Audience: Global – open to all HE staff with leadership responsibility
Participation: Breakout groups for discussion and networking
Structure: Each session includes introductions and connectivity, expert input, group sense-making, and intention-setting
Resources: Supporting digital learning environment with pre- and post-session materials for asynchronous learning and community building
Delivery: Individual places available, or institutional bundles for groups of 10 plus
Recognition: Digital badge awarded for each session completed; a series badge for completing multiple workshops
Who are the workshops for?
These workshops are open to anyone with leadership responsibility in a higher education institution – regardless of title or seniority. If you lead a team, manage a project, or hold responsibility for others in an HE context, these workshops are designed for you.
The workshops are particularly relevant for:
- Anyone preparing for greater leadership responsibility
- Academics stepping into their first management or leadership role
- Research leads and principal investigators
- Professional Services managers and leaders
- Heads of Department and Deans
Why participate? Why choose a Leadership Skills Workshop?
Just-in-time, not just-in-case
No waiting for cohort formation or a new academic year. Attend when the challenge is live and the learning is immediately relevant.
Grounded in higher education
Every workshop is built around the Framework for Leading in Higher Education. The examples, the conversations, and the frameworks are all rooted in the sector you work in.
No time away from your institution
Three hours online. No travel, no accommodation costs, no days out of the office.
Peer connection across the sector
Learn alongside leaders from other HE institutions and build lasting networks with people facing the same challenges.
Practical from the first session
You work with your own real cases and situations. You leave with clear intentions you can act on straight away.
Visible, credible evidence of development
A digital badge for every session completed, and a series badge for attending multiple workshops – suitable for appraisals, CPD records and succession planning conversations.
Are you interested in bookings for your team, department or institution?
Booking multiple places helps teams and departments build a shared leadership language and culture. When colleagues attend together, they can apply learning to their own context, support accountability and use workshops to drive ongoing team development.
Group bookings also offer greater value and flexibility, with the ability to secure multiple places on different dates of the same workshop to support wider participation across teams.
Bulk booking discounts are available for groups of 10 (5%) and 20+ (10%). Please note that bulk bookings apply to multiple places on the same workshop only and cannot currently be used across different workshop types.
Speak to us about booking multiple spaces
