Please find below details on leadership development programs which are owned by or aligned with the University of Sydney’s Leadership Academy.
Program Eligibility
Advancing Leaders: Academic (Level C, D and E) and Professional (HEO 9 to SPS-C)
Leading Teams: Academic (Level A and B) and Professional (HEO 6 to HEO 8)
Sydney Women’s Leadership Program – Academic: Academic (Level B) women
Sydney Women’s Leadership Program – Professional: Professional (HEO 9 to SPS-B) women
Transformational Leadership: Academic (Level E) Heads of School / Discipline, Deputy Deans and Associate Deans and Professional (SPS-D) Directors
Vice-Chancellor’s Sponsorship Program: Academic (Level C and D) and Professional (HEO 9 to SPS-B) culturally diverse women
Owned by the Leadership Academy
The Advancing Leaders Program supports managers with responsibility for larger teams to build advanced leadership capabilities that are relevant to our University of Sydney context and values.
The program is run each year for academics at Level C–E and professional staff at HEO 9–10, SPS A-C and includes a mix of participants from across the University’s faculties, schools and central portfolios. The program combines four workshops, group activities, one-on-one and peer coaching and is facilitated by senior academics drawn from across the University and external facilitators. The focus is on:
- Leading with purpose to achieve University goals
- Coaching larger teams and leading other leaders
- Thinking strategically and applying a broader University perspective
- Managing difficult conversations
- Leveraging diversity
- Relating to stakeholders from across the University and the wider community to attain common goals
- Impact and influence as a leader
- Strategic financial management
| Pre-Program | Workshop 1 | Workshop 2 | Workshop 3 | Workshop 4 | Coaching Phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Overview session on Zoom 1:1 Hogan assessment debrief with coach | Finding your Leadership Purpose Prof Kevin Lowe | Strategy and Strategic Thinking Assoc Prof Massimo Garbuio | Leveraging Diversity Prof Betina Szkudlarek | Strategic Financial Management Prof Guy Ford | Second coaching session Peer Coaching Circle meetings (online) |
| Leader as Coach Ian Lees | Working Through Others Assoc Prof Amanda Tattersall | Having Difficult Conversations Dr Greg Cook | Presence and Impact Jo O’Reilly |
For more information on the Foundational Leadership program, please visit the program section on the Leadership Academy platform.
The Leading Teams program supports our team leaders to build leadership capabilities that are relevant to our University of Sydney context.
The program is run each year for professional team leaders up to HEO8 and academics Level A and B and includes a mix of participants from across the University’s faculties, schools and central portfolios.
The program focuses on:
- Adaptive leadership
- Creative problem-solving
- Managing teams & projects
- Feedback & having hard conversations
- Quality coaching conversations
- Leveraging Diversity
- Leading Change
| Pre-Workshop | Workshop 1 | Workshop 2 | Workshop 3 | Workshop 4 | Coaching Phase |
| Program Overview session on Zoom 1:1 Hogan assessment debriefs with coaches | Introduction to Adaptive Leadership Prof Kevin Lowe | Building & Managing Effective Teams Prof Anya Johnson and Prof Helena Nguyen | Managing & Implementing Projects Dr. Louis Taborda | Leading and Managing Change Colleen Durant | Peer Coaching Circle meetings (online) |
| Creative Problem Solving Prof Guy Ford | Managing Feedback & Hard Conversations Prof Anya Johnson and Prof Helena Nguyen | Quality Coaching Conversations Ingrid Studholme | Leveraging Diversity Prof Betina Szkudlarek |
The Senior Leader Essentials program is designed specifically for senior leaders who are new to their role or to the University. This program offers a unique opportunity to connect with the University strategy and aspirations, build networks with peers, and engage with the University Executive (UE) team.
The program is run twice a year and consists of two half-day workshops:
- The Strategy Overview Workshop, where participants connect with the University’s strategy, aspirations, and operations through panel discussions and presentations by UE members.
- The Group Leadership Lab, where participants identify strategic priorities and challenges in your role with the support of Deloitte experts.
This is a new leadership development program supporting senior leaders delivering the University’s strategic aspirations. Targeting Heads of School/Discipline, Deputy Deans, Associate Deans at Academic level E and Directors at SPSD level, the program is experiential and interactive combining five workshop days with coaching, peer support groups and a Hogan 360 feedback tool.
The program focuses on:
- Leading in Sydney’s strategic context
- Collaborating and partnering across the University to achieve Sydney 2032 strategic aspirations
- Creating the conditions for belonging, trust and accountability
- Exploring enabling factors that support leaders to have an impact across the broader system
- Igniting leaders own potential to adapt, learn, and experiment through individual and collective leadership
- Supporting leaders to thrive in the complex environment of Sydney
The program includes five workshop days over three months, completion of a Hogan 360 feedback instrument, coaching and peer support groups. The following program overview provides more detail.
