Women in leadership: planning your development and influence

1. Understand the route

Women in leadership programmes focus on the skills and relationships that shape progression: communicating with authority, influencing stakeholders, negotiating, making and explaining decisions, and building support from mentors and sponsors. The most useful programmes turn these into a plan you can act on at work.

LSBUK's Women in Leadership combines structured learning with workplace application, case discussion, decision tools and a personalised leadership development plan, covering career advancement, confidence and executive presence, and mentoring and sponsorship networks. A course can strengthen your skills and plan; it cannot promise a promotion.

2. Check fit, workload and cost

Who it suits. Women at management level and above who want to progress into more senior roles.

Workload. The course runs over 2 to 6 weeks, depending on format, Live Online in UK time or on campus in London. Ask admissions for the session times and the work expected between sessions.

Cost. The published fee is £2,076 for Live Online study or £2,931 in London.

3. Compare your choices

• A development programme or coaching. A programme gives structure, frameworks and peers; one-to-one coaching gives depth on your own situation. Some people use both.
• Mentoring or sponsorship. Mentors advise; sponsors use their position to advocate for you. Both help in different ways: see mentoring versus sponsorship.
• General leadership or women-focused. A women-focused course addresses the specific dynamics participants report. If you mainly need core management skills, compare it with the leadership and management guide.

4. Inspect a practical example

The development and influence plan follows a fictional leader preparing an evidence-based proposal for a cross-functional project: one specific behaviour goal, a stakeholder map, an influence action tested with an ally, and a review. It shows where a mentor helps and where a sponsor's advocacy is a different thing.

5. Ask the right questions before you enrol

1. What are the session times, and how much work is expected between them?
2. How much of the course is applied to my own situation, and how is feedback given?
3. Who will the cohort be, and how are discussions run?
4. What do I receive on completion?
5. What does the fee include, and what payment options are available?