Overview
Course overview
Leadership is not just about strategy. It is about the daily decisions, conversations and judgements that shape how a team performs. This practical leadership skills short course is built around the realities of leading people, covering communication, conflict resolution, performance coaching, delegation and team culture. Delivered in an interactive format with case discussions and structured exercises, learners leave with skills they can apply immediately. Available online and on campus in London, this course is ideal for managers at all levels looking to sharpen their leadership edge.
What you will study
Learn the principles of effective delegation: how to decide what to delegate, how to brief people clearly, how to set the right level of oversight and how to use delegation as a development opportunity rather than just a workload management tool.
Develop the skill and confidence to give honest, specific and timely feedback in any situation. Covers frameworks for structuring feedback conversations, handling defensive reactions, following up effectively and creating a culture where feedback flows freely.
Build practical tools for identifying the root causes of team conflict and resolving it constructively. Learn when to intervene, when to let teams resolve issues themselves and how to use conflict as a driver of better decisions rather than a source of dysfunction.
Learn how to cut through complexity and focus your team's energy on what matters most. Covers prioritisation frameworks, how to say no without damaging relationships, how to protect your team from overload and how to communicate priorities so everyone is aligned.
Design the routines, rituals and regular touchpoints that keep a team connected, informed and high-performing. Covers meeting design, check-in cadences, visibility practices and how to build a team culture that sustains itself without constant management intervention.
Reflect on your leadership strengths and development areas and build a structured personal leadership development plan. Identify the specific habits, skills and behaviours you will prioritise and the steps you will take to embed them in your day-to-day practice.
Learn how to make better decisions faster without sacrificing quality. Covers decision-making frameworks for time-pressured situations, how to avoid analysis paralysis, how to delegate decision rights effectively and how to build a team that can decide confidently without constant escalation.
Develop the personal resilience to lead effectively under sustained pressure, setback and uncertainty. Covers the research on leader resilience, practical techniques for managing energy and stress, and how to model resilience in a way that positively influences your team.
Build the ability to influence outcomes and move people to action without relying on formal authority. Covers the psychology of influence, practical persuasion techniques, how to build trust and credibility and how to navigate organisational politics with integrity.
Take stock of where you are and where you want to go. Learn how to build a development plan that accelerates your progression, how to build visibility in your organisation, how to find sponsors and mentors and how to make the case for your next opportunity.
Who is this for?
Ideal for frontline managers, team leaders, supervisors and professionals stepping into leadership roles for the first time or looking to consolidate and strengthen their existing leadership practice.
Learning outcome
Learners leave with sharper communication skills, a clear approach to managing performance and team culture, and a practical toolkit for leading with greater confidence and consistency.
Assessment and delivery style
Teaching is designed to be interactive, applied and professionally relevant. Activities may include case discussion, guided exercises, workplace examples, short presentations, reflective planning and tutor-led feedback.
