Women in Leadership and Governance Masterclass Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Advanced Certificate on completion
Who attends Senior women leaders, General counsel and legal directors and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 9 Nov 2026 Course code SD-LD-169

Before you join: Participants should have substantial management, advisory or functional leadership experience and regular exposure to senior decision-making, governance processes, regulators, boards or executive committees.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Senior women entering, serving on or advising boards often face a dual challenge: meeting exacting legal and governance duties while establishing authority in rooms where informal influence, sponsorship and decision rights may be unevenly distributed. Weak board processes, unclear delegations, unmanaged conflicts and poor-quality challenge can expose organisations and individual directors to regulatory, financial and reputational consequences. Participants need more than general leadership techniques; they need command of board practice, legal judgment and influence methods suited to high-stakes decisions.

This masterclass examines governance architecture, directors’ duties, committee effectiveness, enterprise risk oversight, ethical conduct, regulatory engagement and succession governance. Participants apply the G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance, COSO ERM, the IIA Three Lines Model and selected boardroom decision methods to realistic cases. They build the ability to read a board pack critically, frame questions that improve decisions, handle conflicts, influence stakeholders before formal meetings and speak up when conduct or risk concerns require escalation.

Teaching combines short faculty briefings with board and regulatory cases, facilitated peer analysis, governance simulations, negotiation practice and structured application planning. Cases can be adapted for banks, state-owned entities, listed companies, NGOs, public bodies and multinational groups. Each participant leaves with a board-readiness and influence portfolio containing a governance diagnostic, stakeholder map, risk and escalation tools, and a 90-day action plan for a current leadership or board-related role.

The course is designed for experienced leaders with responsibility for governance, legal, risk, compliance, strategy, corporate affairs or senior operational decisions. It also suits current and aspiring board members seeking stronger command of fiduciary duties, boardroom influence and accountable leadership.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose board effectiveness using governance operating models, decision rights and information-flow criteria
  • Apply directors’ duty and conflict-of-interest protocols to difficult board decisions
  • Construct risk appetite, escalation and assurance arrangements using COSO ERM and the Three Lines Model
  • Challenge board proposals through evidence-based questioning, constructive dissent and decision-quality reviews
  • Negotiate support and manage resistance using BATNA, stakeholder salience and pre-meeting influence plans
  • Design ethical conduct and speak-up arrangements with clear investigation and remediation pathways
  • Conduct board-readiness and succession analyses using skills matrices, sponsorship plans and gap assessments
  • Produce a 90-day governance influence plan for a current strategic priority

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater authority when questioning executives, advisers and fellow board members
  • A defensible approach to directors’ duties, conflicts and documented dissent
  • Stronger sponsorship and stakeholder influence before formal decisions
  • Practical preparation for board appointments and committee leadership
  • A personal plan for handling bias, boundary challenges and reputation risk

For your organisation

  • Better-informed board challenge and clearer records of material decisions
  • Earlier escalation of conduct, legal, regulatory and enterprise risk concerns
  • Stronger succession pipelines for senior women and future board leaders
  • More consistent governance across subsidiaries, committees and delegated authorities
  • Improved retention of senior women through visible sponsorship and advancement pathways

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can diagnose governance arrangements and identify board-process weaknesses requiring action.

  • Board effectiveness diagnosis using mandate, composition, information flow and decision rights
  • G20/OECD Principles mapped to shareholder, stakeholder and disclosure duties
  • Legal duties of care, loyalty, good faith and independent judgment
  • Authority matrices distinguishing board reservations, delegation limits and management accountabilities
  • Governance operating model linking committees, charters, calendars and escalation routes
  • Board papers tested against materiality, evidence, options and recommendation standards

Participants can build credible authority while addressing bias and informal power dynamics.

  • Gendered authority bias identified through role congruity and double-bind patterns
  • Intersectionality lens applied to race, disability, age, class and nationality
  • Stakeholder power-interest mapping identifies sponsors, blockers, allies and decision makers
  • Political skill framework separates networking, influence, social astuteness and sincerity
  • Credibility signals aligned with expertise, values, delivery record and board presence
  • Boundary-setting scripts address interruptions, credit appropriation and inappropriate requests

Participants can assess fiduciary issues and document legally defensible governance decisions.

  • Directors' duty register connects statutes, bylaws, fiduciary obligations and delegated authorities
  • Business judgment rule assessed against process, information, independence and good faith
  • Conflicts-of-interest protocol covers declaration, recusal, register maintenance and monitoring
  • Related-party transaction review applies arm's-length evidence and approval thresholds
  • Minutes preserve deliberation, dissent, advice received and decision rationale
  • Privilege boundaries distinguish legal advice, business advice and discoverable records

Participants can structure board-level risk oversight, assurance and crisis escalation arrangements.

  • Risk appetite statement links strategic objectives, thresholds, metrics and escalation
  • COSO ERM taxonomy classifies strategic, operational, reporting and compliance risks
  • Three Lines Model assigns ownership, oversight and independent assurance responsibilities
  • Risk heat maps challenged for velocity, interdependence and control effectiveness
  • Whistleblowing arrangements tested for confidentiality, non-retaliation, triage and investigation
  • Crisis governance protocols define authority, communications and regulator notification triggers

Participants can improve board decisions through disciplined questioning, dissent and meeting design.

  • Agenda architecture allocates time between oversight, strategy and generative discussion
  • Consent agenda technique protects meeting time for contested material decisions
  • Question funnel moves from clarification through assumptions to strategic challenge
  • Constructive dissent framed with evidence, alternatives, consequences and recorded rationale
  • Chair-participant contracting establishes participation norms, airtime and intervention protocols
  • Decision-quality review tests framing, options, bias, timing and execution ownership

Participants can secure support for governance priorities and respond effectively to resistance.

  • Interest-based negotiation prepares BATNA, reservation value, interests and trade-offs
  • Stakeholder salience analysis ranks power, legitimacy, urgency and coalition potential
  • Message maps connect board recommendations to risk, value, duty and evidence
  • Pre-meeting influence plans sequence sponsors, peers, gatekeepers and formal forums
  • Objection handling distinguishes substantive challenge, positional resistance and procedural delay
  • Executive presence uses pace, framing, silence and concise intervention structure

Participants can lead ethical governance responses to misconduct, retaliation and culture concerns.

  • Ethical decision model tests legality, rights, consequences, fairness and character
  • Speak-up case assessment separates allegation intake, investigation scope and remediation
  • Retaliation risk controls protect reporters, witnesses and investigation participants
  • Culture indicators combine conduct data, employee voice, turnover and control failures
  • Human rights due diligence traces salient impacts through suppliers and operations
  • ESG oversight defines accountabilities, metrics, assurance and disclosure governance

Participants can improve senior succession decisions and address barriers affecting women’s advancement.

  • Board skills matrix identifies capability gaps, tenure risks and succession priorities
  • Succession slate design applies readiness, potential, diversity and development evidence
  • Sponsorship plan secures advocacy, exposure, assignments and succession visibility
  • Performance calibration counters affinity bias, likeability penalties and vague criteria
  • Compensation committee review links incentives, risk adjustment and conduct outcomes
  • Pay equity analysis compares roles, cohorts, unexplained gaps and remediation actions

Participants can oversee regulatory commitments, disclosures and multi-entity governance accountabilities.

  • Regulatory horizon scan tracks rulemaking, enforcement themes, consultations and deadlines
  • Disclosure controls map owners, evidence, review gates and sign-off obligations
  • Regulator engagement plan defines messages, commitments, records and escalation authority
  • Cross-border governance identifies entity authority, local requirements and reporting lines
  • Data governance assigns stewardship, classification, retention and breach notification duties
  • Committee reporting dashboard distinguishes indicators, thresholds, exceptions and decisions required

Participants can convert course methods into a focused personal governance and influence plan.

  • Leadership purpose statement aligns values, authority, career direction and governance contribution
  • Board-readiness gap analysis benchmarks experience, credentials, networks and sector knowledge
  • 90-day influence plan schedules stakeholders, decisions, sponsors and evidence milestones
  • Personal risk register anticipates role constraints, conflicts and reputation exposures
  • Development portfolio prioritises committee exposure, mentoring, feedback and stretch assignments
  • Accountability review sets measures, review dates and course-correction triggers

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Board effectiveness diagnostic template
  2. Directors’ duties and conflicts checklist
  3. Risk appetite and escalation matrix
  4. Pre-meeting stakeholder influence plan
  5. Board-readiness gap analysis
  6. 90-day governance action plan

Who should attend

  • Senior women leaders — preparing for board, executive committee or enterprise leadership responsibilities
  • General counsel and legal directors — advising boards on duties, conflicts, disclosures and decisions
  • Board members and committee chairs — strengthening challenge, oversight and meeting effectiveness
  • Chief risk and compliance officers — improving risk escalation, assurance and conduct governance
  • Corporate secretaries and governance directors — designing stronger board processes, charters and reporting
  • Public-sector and NGO executives — managing fiduciary accountability, stakeholder scrutiny and mission risk

Skills and tools covered

Board governanceLegal risk judgmentStrategic influenceEthical leadershipRisk oversightSuccession governance

Tools and standards

G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance, COSO Enterprise Risk Management Framework, IIA Three Lines Model, BATNA negotiation framework

How the course runs

Training methodology

Faculty-led briefings establish the governance, legal and leadership concepts before participants examine board papers, committee scenarios, conduct cases and regulatory dilemmas. Small-group work tests alternative decisions, questions and escalation routes. Simulations develop chairing, constructive dissent, negotiation and influence under time pressure. Participants receive structured feedback on boardroom communication and decision framing. Individual application planning links each method to a live leadership, board, legal or governance issue while protecting confidential information.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have substantial management, advisory or functional leadership experience and regular exposure to senior decision-making, governance processes, regulators, boards or executive committees. Familiarity with basic corporate structures, organisational risk and financial or operational reporting is assumed. Participants should be ready to discuss a current leadership, board or governance challenge without disclosing confidential information. A law degree, prior board appointment, accounting qualification or formal governance certification is not required. The course explains legal concepts for leadership application rather than providing jurisdiction-specific legal advice.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

This is an advanced course for experienced managers, advisers and current or aspiring board members. Participants should understand senior organisational decision-making and be able to relate the material to a real governance, legal, risk or leadership responsibility.

Bring a non-confidential description of a current board, committee, leadership or governance challenge. You may also bring publicly available board papers, policies or governance documents if your organisation permits their use.

It is particularly suited to senior women leaders, general counsel, corporate secretaries, risk and compliance leaders, board members and executives with governance accountability. Men who sponsor women leaders or hold governance responsibilities can also benefit.

The course focuses on board duties, legal judgment, risk oversight, conduct, regulatory issues and formal governance mechanisms. It also addresses authority, sponsorship and influence, but through high-stakes board and executive decision scenarios.

Participants can use the templates to assess board papers, prepare for difficult meetings, declare conflicts, escalate risk and plan stakeholder conversations. The final application plan focuses attention on a live leadership or governance priority.

Each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides about 6.5 contact hours. The five days progress from governance foundations and legal duties to risk, influence, ethical leadership, succession, regulatory accountability and individual application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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