Skip to main content
Woman working in library

Leading Departments

Leading Departments is a fully residential development programme designed to engage, support and develop new Heads of Department to meet the operational challenges of leading and managing academic or support teams.

Being a head of department is a significant step on the leadership career ladder but it does come with the additional day to day challenges associated with the leadership of front line academic and professional departments.

Leaders of departments in HE institutions are often challenged by the need to achieve action by influencing those in senior positions in their institution. They must find ways to overcome resistance and encourage commitment in a positive way. Leading Departments will engage, support and develop new and experienced heads of department or schools to meet the operational challenges of leading and managing academic or support teams. 
 

Register your interest

Booking Deadline: Tuesday 26 September 2023

​​​In person residential experience delivered over Two, two-day / one night modules.

Enquire now

Programme delivery

This innovative residential programme takes a practical hands-on approach to learning new skills and behaviours necessary for successful department or school leadership. The core feature of the programme is a continuous and progressing simulation, which allows participants to experience the realities of leadership as a head of department or school in a risk-free environment.

The two residential modules will take place over two full  days, with frequent breaks built in to maximize engagement and will include facilitated discussions that speak to our new realities and changing circumstances.

Delegates will also benefit from additional pre-module resources in the form of two substantial content driven vodcasts to watch asynchronously as part of their preparation for the module.

Taking place over four months, Leading Departments consists of:

  • A two-day module focused on people and power, including addressing challenging issues such as performance, conflict resolution and self-positioning as a leader as well as a colleague
  • 360-degree diagnostic to identify personal strengths and development goals
  • A two-day module on ‘Managing up’, influencing outside the line management relationship and succession planning
  • Asynchronous activity in the form of a private programme network group set up to support the sharing of resources
  • Two vodcasts, one before each module, to prime and prepare you with key ideas, core leadership and communication models and some reflective questions. 
This programme is unlike any other I have experienced. The opportunity to learn a technique, practice it in a very realistic scenario, receive instant feedback, and refine until you are confident with it is like gold-dust.” Jennifer Stergiou, Head of  Research Operations and Reporting, University of Leeds.
Buff line

Module dates and information

For full details of each of the modules, download our full information sheet.

Module One

12 – 13 October 2023

A two-day module focused on people and power, including addressing challenging issues such as performance, conflict resolution and self-positioning as a leader as well as a colleague.

HE-TLQ 360 Online Diagnostic

14 October – 6 December 2023

In between module one and two, you will be asked to complete an HE-TLQ 360 Online Diagnostic. This includes a 1-2-1 coaching feedback session.

Module Two

6 – 7 December 2023

A two-day module focused on ‘Managing up’, influencing outside the line management relationship and succession planning
Buff line

Share and celebrate your achievements with digitally recognised learning

For much of our portfolio for 2022-23 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.

Find out more about digitally recognised learning
Buff line

Watch the video

Watch an introduction to the programme's key features with joint Programme Directors Doug Parkin and Paul Hessey

People working
Buff line

Programme outcomes

Participants benefit from the opportunity to explore the use and balance of intellectual, emotional and political intelligences in facing day-to-day challenges. They also have the chance to identify their own leadership styles and preferences, and consider the implications of these for the leadership of performance. Participants will also benefit from the ability to reflect on their 360-degree feedback and apply the insights gained to focus their own plans for personal development.

The simulated environments approach used on the programme is incredibly powerful and impactful. These environments challenge participants to confront complex, highly interwoven performance management and operational issues and explore motivation as a way of achieving their own and others’ high performance.

Buff line

Related

Buff line