Women's Leadership Development Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Newly appointed managers, Mid-level women leaders 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-153

Before you join: Participants should have at least two years of professional experience and current responsibility for projects, people, clients, budgets or cross-functional work.

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

Women in management and leadership roles can face a distinct mix of expectations: demonstrate authority without being judged as abrasive, build visibility without appearing self-promoting, and influence decisions where informal networks shape access and advancement. These pressures affect career progression, team leadership, negotiation outcomes and the willingness to speak with conviction in senior forums. Addressing them requires practical leadership methods, sound judgement and an intentional approach to professional relationships.

This course develops the skills needed to lead with authority, communicate clearly, build sponsorship, negotiate for resources and handle difficult conversations. Participants examine how bias and double binds can affect leadership perceptions, then apply methods for stakeholder influence, executive communication, team accountability and change leadership. The programme also addresses career strategy, workplace boundaries, ethical judgement and resilience under sustained pressure.

Teaching combines short instructor briefings with cases from corporate, public-sector, financial-services and NGO settings. Participants analyse realistic leadership situations, practise high-stakes communication, conduct stakeholder and influence planning, and receive structured peer feedback. Each participant leaves with a personal leadership identity statement, stakeholder influence map, sponsorship and visibility plan, negotiation preparation sheet, and a 90-day leadership action plan tied to a current workplace challenge.

The course suits experienced professionals preparing for broader responsibility, newly appointed managers, technical specialists moving into leadership, and established leaders seeking a clearer approach to influence, career direction and inclusive team leadership.

What you will be able to do

  • Define a leadership identity statement grounded in values, authority and career direction
  • Apply stakeholder mapping and influence currencies to build support for decisions
  • Deliver executive messages using message maps and Pyramid Principle structure
  • Conduct assertive feedback, boundary-setting and difficult conversations using SBI and DESC
  • Prepare negotiations using BATNA, reservation points, targets and evidence-based requests
  • Create a sponsorship and visibility plan linked to defined career opportunities
  • Lead accountable teams using RACI, psychological safety routines and situational leadership
  • Produce a 90-day leadership action plan with measures, allies and review dates

Benefits of attending

For you

  • A clearer leadership position and language for communicating authority without unnecessary defensiveness
  • Greater confidence contributing to senior meetings, challenging assumptions and making recommendations
  • A practical route to stronger sponsorship, visibility and career opportunity conversations
  • Better preparation for resource, pay, scope and promotion negotiations
  • A structured approach to boundaries, difficult behaviour and sustained professional resilience

For your organisation

  • Stronger retention of women with demonstrated leadership potential
  • More credible succession pipelines for management and senior leadership roles
  • Higher-quality stakeholder communication and cross-functional decision support
  • More inclusive team practices that improve participation, challenge and accountability
  • Better handling of conflict, bias concerns and difficult workplace conversations

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can articulate a credible leadership identity and identify sources of authority for their current role.

  • Leadership identity statement linking values, mandate, strengths and career direction
  • Role power, expert power and network power mapped deliberately
  • Gendered double binds: likeability, competence, assertiveness and authority
  • Attribution patterns separating performance evidence from stereotype-based interpretations
  • Personal leadership brand defined through contribution, reputation and visibility
  • Authority signals in language, meeting presence, decisions and follow-through

Participants can recognise bias patterns and use practical measures to support fairer leadership decisions.

  • Implicit bias mechanisms and their effects on talent decisions
  • Bias interrupters for recruitment, assignment, evaluation and promotion decisions
  • Intersectionality considered when interpreting opportunity, risk and workplace experience
  • Psychological safety diagnosed through speaking-up, error-reporting and challenge patterns
  • Allyship behaviours: amplify, credit, sponsor, challenge and share access
  • Team norms that prevent interruption, idea theft and exclusion

Participants can communicate recommendations with concise structure, confident language and appropriate authority.

  • Message maps converting complex proposals into clear executive recommendations
  • Pyramid Principle structure for concise briefings, emails and decision papers
  • Assertive language replacing hedging, over-explaining, apology and permission-seeking
  • SBI feedback model for observable, specific performance conversations
  • Strategic silence, pace and questions used to hold meeting space
  • Presence under challenge: acknowledge, reframe, answer and redirect

Participants can plan ethical influence strategies for decisions involving competing interests and informal power.

  • Stakeholder mapping by power, interest, position and relationship strength
  • Influence currencies identified before requesting support or changing priorities
  • Coalition-building sequences for sponsors, peers, resisters and decision makers
  • Reciprocity agreements that create credible, mutual commitments between stakeholders
  • Political judgement distinguishing legitimate influence from manipulation or avoidance
  • Pre-wiring decisions through individual conversations before formal approval meetings

Participants can prepare and conduct evidence-based negotiations for resources, scope, compensation and opportunity.

  • BATNA, reservation point and target defined before negotiation
  • Interest-based negotiation separating underlying needs from stated positions
  • Anchoring, framing and concession patterns managed without unnecessary compromise
  • Compensation and resource requests supported by market and performance evidence
  • Difficult counterpart tactics identified: pressure, delay, threats and false urgency
  • Close agreements with owners, dates, measures and review points

Participants can build a focused career strategy supported by sponsors, evidence and purposeful visibility.

  • Career capital inventory covering results, expertise, relationships and reputation
  • Sponsorship requests framed around potential, contribution and specific opportunities
  • Mentoring, coaching and sponsorship distinguished by purpose, access and accountability
  • Visibility plan selects forums, projects, advocates and evidence of impact
  • Career conversations conducted using aspirations, options, commitments and follow-up
  • Promotion case assembled from outcomes, scope, readiness and organisational need

Participants can set clear expectations, build team trust and address performance or conflict constructively.

  • Situational Leadership adapts direction, coaching, support and delegation
  • Psychological safety routines invite dissent, questions, learning and error reporting
  • RACI clarifies decision rights, hand-offs, accountability and consultation
  • Performance expectations translated into observable standards, milestones and feedback
  • Conflict responses selected using Thomas-Kilmann modes and issue stakes
  • Remote and hybrid team rhythms maintain connection, clarity and accountability

Participants can address challenging behaviour directly while protecting boundaries, relationships and professional wellbeing.

  • Crucial conversation preparation separates facts, stories, feelings and requests
  • DESC script structures direct boundary-setting and behaviour-change conversations
  • De-escalation techniques regulate tone, pace, acknowledgement and next steps
  • Microaggressions addressed through inquiry, impact statements and clear limits
  • Harassment and discrimination concerns documented, escalated and handled appropriately
  • Resilience practices protect recovery, focus, boundaries and sustainable performance

Participants can communicate change, respond to resistance and make decisions using clear ethical criteria.

  • ADKAR diagnoses awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement gaps
  • Change messages connect business rationale, people impacts and actions
  • Resistance classified as informational, emotional, practical or political
  • Decision logs record rationale, dissent, ownership and follow-through
  • Ethical leadership tests decisions against fairness, harm, transparency and accountability
  • Crisis communication balances certainty, empathy, evidence and timely updates

Participants can convert course methods into a measurable leadership plan for the next 90 days.

  • Leadership challenge defined with stakeholders, evidence, constraints and intended outcomes
  • Personal SWOT identifies strengths, development priorities, opportunities and risks
  • 90-day action plan assigns milestones, measures, allies and review dates
  • Feedforward requests convert future-focused input into behavioural commitments
  • Accountability partners establish check-ins, evidence and course-correction triggers
  • Personal operating principles guide choices under pressure and ambiguity
  • Progress dashboard tracks commitments, influence actions, feedback and outcomes

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

What you take back to work

  1. Personal leadership identity statement
  2. Stakeholder influence map
  3. Executive message map template
  4. Negotiation preparation worksheet
  5. Sponsorship and visibility plan
  6. 90-day leadership action plan

Who should attend

  • Newly appointed managers — building authority, communication discipline and team leadership habits
  • Mid-level women leaders — strengthening influence across functions and preparing for larger roles
  • Senior managers — refining executive presence, sponsorship and strategic stakeholder relationships
  • Technical specialists — translating expertise into credible leadership and organisational influence
  • Programme and project leaders — gaining commitment without relying solely on formal authority
  • High-potential professionals — creating a visible, evidence-based plan for career progression

Skills and tools covered

Executive communicationStakeholder influenceNegotiation preparationCareer sponsorshipTeam accountabilityDifficult conversations

Tools and standards

Pyramid Principle, SBI Feedback Model, RACI Matrix, ADKAR Model

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce leadership methods, followed by facilitated case work, group exercises, simulations and individual application planning. Cases reflect common situations such as presenting a recommendation to executives, gaining support for a cross-functional initiative, requesting resources, responding to exclusionary behaviour and leading a team through change. Participants practise concise communication, negotiation preparation and feedback conversations, then receive peer and instructor observations. Personal reflection is linked to tangible workplace plans rather than abstract self-assessment.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have at least two years of professional experience and current responsibility for projects, people, clients, budgets or cross-functional work. Familiarity with meetings, performance conversations and organisational decision processes is helpful. The course is most valuable when participants can bring a real leadership challenge, stakeholder issue or career decision to consider during the programme. No prior management qualification, formal leadership training, psychology background or negotiation certification is required. Participants do not need to supervise staff, although current or future management responsibility is relevant.

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

Participants should have at least two years of professional experience and some responsibility for projects, stakeholders, clients or teams. Prior leadership training is not required, and participants do not need to hold a formal people-management role.

Bring a current leadership challenge, career decision, stakeholder issue or upcoming difficult conversation. You may also bring a laptop or tablet for notes, although course materials and planning templates are provided.

It is designed for women moving into management, established managers, senior professionals and technical specialists seeking greater organisational influence. It is also suitable for project and programme leaders who need commitment from colleagues outside their reporting line.

The course teaches core leadership methods while addressing issues that commonly affect women's authority, visibility, sponsorship and access to informal influence. It focuses on practical responses to double binds, bias, negotiation and career progression rather than leadership theory alone.

Participants build plans around real workplace priorities, including stakeholder relationships, communication, career opportunities and team issues. The final 90-day action plan includes measures, allies, milestones and review dates for immediate use.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, with approximately 6.5 contact hours daily. Time is divided between instructor input, cases, simulations, group discussion, peer feedback 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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