Women as Transformational Leaders*

Propel your leadership career

Level(s) of Study: Short course; Professional
Course Fee: GBP 795 (inclusive of online assessment session)
Study Mode(s): Part-time
Duration: Six half day online sessions
Open Course Start Date(s): Monday 15 September 2025 (and weekly to 20 October)
Closed Cohort Date(s) - 15+ learners: By arrangement on dates of your choice

*Microcredential - a mircocredential is a certification of assessed learning associated with a specific and relevant skill or competency. On successful completion of the programme and assessment this would give 10 credits at Masters Level 7.

The delivery of the programme would be 6 x ½ day LIVE online sessions.

Propel your leadership career, increase your visibility and become an agent for change with Nottingham Business School’s Women as Transformational Leaders course. There has been a significant rise in female leadership in the Middle East, with very many women emerging as inspiring voices for change.

Developing leadership capability ensures women’s voices are heard. It ensures that visionary, innovative, capable and credible women are able to confidently influence organisations, and the wider society, through their leadership, shaping the future for the better.

Who is this course for?

The course is for female leaders in organisations across all sectors who want to develop their capability to be a purpose-driven leader and agent of change.

This course is for you if you are:

In a senior role transitioning into a leadership role
Consolidating gains made in a current leadership role
Developing your readiness to move into a senior leadership role
Developing your leadership capability as an entrepreneurial founder

What are the benefits to attending the course?

Finding your voice as a leader

This course will help you to find your voice and step into your identity as a leader, increasing your confidence to lead authentically. It will help you to develop your self-awareness as a transformational, purpose-driven leader, also increasing your impact in your organisation and with key stakeholders.

Gaining clarity and building capability

During the course you will develop clarity around your purpose, vision and values so you can powerfully communicate these to stakeholders, bringing them with you. You will develop critical skills and competencies needed in leadership to engage people, make good decisions, build strategic relationships and deliver results.

Develop your leadership presences

You will be able to:

identify your signature strengths
develop your ability to influence
learn how to have courageous conversations

As you develop your leadership career, the ability to influence becomes more critical. Through the course, you will be able to identify your signature strengths, develop your ability to influence and learn how to have courageous conversations, elevating your leadership presence.

What are the benefits to your organisation?

Develop a female leadership pipeline

Research consistently shows that female representation in leadership improves organisational performance. Whilst there has been increasing visibility of successful female leaders in organisations; a turbulent economy, political instability and global challenges, are in danger of eroding gains made by women over recent years. The development of a female leadership pipeline remains a critical challenge for organisations, especially in male dominated environments.

Develop purpose-driven leaders

As a result of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and a call for greater focus on the triple bottom line of profit, people and planet, there is an increased need for purpose-driven leaders, to ensuring organisations are focused on this greater good. Leaders need to be able engage stakeholders in this change.

Develop agents of change

Addressing the dual need to develop the female leadership pipeline and develop purpose-driven leaders, this course prepares female leaders to be successful agents of change. Beyond this, in a complex, rapidly changing environment, leaders need to be able to communicate the vision and inspire, engage and bring people with them. This course equips female leaders with the skills and confidence to be transformational leaders in your organisation.

Course Aims
As a result of of completing this course you will be able to:-

The module will empower you to develop the mindset, confidence, and capability to be a transformational leader during challenging and turbulent times.

Programme structure
Through masterclasses, workshops, activities, and peer discussions, you will explore the following (indicative content) delivered as 6 x ½ day LIVE online sessions:

Session 1: Exploring the leadership context

The rise of purpose-driven leadership
Women as transformational leaders and agents of change
Understanding the internal and external environment
Effective stakeholder management.

Session 2: Developing your leadership identity

Your leadership journey: Seeing yourself as a leader
Defining your purpose, vision, and values
Understanding your signature strengths
Self-reflection in leadership: Developing your reflective practice

Session 3: Leading the organisation - Strategic Management

Strategic management
Approaches to creating strategy in complex environments
The relationship between strategy and change
Strategic decision making.

Session 4: Leading the organisation - Organisation

Shaping organisational culture
Sensemaking at the strategic level.

Session 5: Engaging others

Engaging people with your vision
Developing an inclusive leadership style
Coaching people for success.

Session 6: Being a woman of influence

Building strategic relationships
Influencing with impact
Having courageous conversations

As this is a 10-credit Post Graduate Level 7 course you will complete an assignment. This is designed to be practical and applied and help you to critically analyse an issue within your organisation with recommended solutions.

Your Facilitator
This course is delivered by: Dr Suzanne Ross

Suzanne is a Senior Lecturer in Executive Education.

at NBS her work is divided between academic leadership, teaching, consultancy, and research.

Suzanne is the Programme Leader for the PG Certificate/PG Diploma in Global Business and Module Leader for the Leading People and Organisations module on the Executive MBA and the in-Company PG Diploma in Global Business.

Suzanne was Module Leader for the award nominated Women in Leadership Module for two years, supporting the development of over 270 female leaders and emerging leaders, before co-creating the Women in STEM Leadership course. She is a facilitator on the UK Government funded Help to Grow: Management Programme supporting SME's growing their business.

A qualified and experienced Executive Coach and facilitator, Suzanne has worked across public, private and third sector organisations and a wide range of industries. Her doctorate is in leadership talent, success and derailment and her research interests are in leadership resilience, crisis leadership, women in leadership, leadership success and high-performance practices. She is a regular keynote speaker.

Following the collaboration between NBS and FutureLearn, the global digital learning platform, Suzanne has authored two short courses, on leadership resilience and an introduction to purpose-driven leadership for female leaders as well as the Leadership Resilience and Inspiring women leaders: Purpose-driven leadership in business and society micro-credentials.

A recent UN Women UK delegate on the 68th session of the Commission for the Status of Women, Suzanne is passionate about leadership, entrepreneurship and education as ways to support women to rise.