Leadership Applied

• Two immersive face-to-face modules delivered over six months
• A required live organisational challenge
• Monthly structured Action Learning Sets using the Manchester Method
• Research-led insight applied to real organisational problems
• Practical tools and frameworks designed for immediate impact
• Evening sessions with senior organisational leaders sharing real-world leadership challenges, decisions and lessons learned
• A selective peer cohort of senior leaders from diverse sectors
• Ongoing alumni engagement and knowledge exchange

• Clearer strategic judgement in complex, high-stakes environments
• Structured time to step back and think at organisational level
• Practical frameworks to improve performance and resilience
• Peer challenge and support from leaders operating at comparable scale
• A defined action plan shaped through rigorous discussion and application
• Continued access to a selective alumni network

This programme is designed for senior leaders already in position within their organisations who:

• Hold P&L accountability or significant performance responsibility
• Operate at scale with meaningful impact on organisational outcomes
• Make decisions affecting strategic direction and resource allocation
• Are responsible for delivering both current plans and future positioning

Participants are selected to ensure a high-calibre cohort with shared levels of responsibility and experience.

Admission is by application and reference. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate seniority, scale of accountability and define a live organisational challenge that will form the focus of their work between modules.

This session explores the key drivers of productivity and how leaders can identify practical opportunities to improve performance. You will consider the wider economic policy levers that shape productivity, the factors within an organisation's control, and the trade-offs leaders need to navigate when seeking sustainable improvement.

• Explore the drivers of productivity and how they affect firm-level performance.
• Use a practical framework and checklist to identify opportunities for improvement.

This session helps leaders build confidence in understanding and applying AI responsibly. You will explore the opportunities, risks and governance considerations linked to AI adoption, while experimenting with practical tools that can support leadership tasks and organisational decision-making.

• Understand key AI concepts and how they can support productivity and decision-making.
• Identify responsible approaches to AI adoption within your organisation.

This session explores how organisational design, operating models and processes influence performance. You will consider practical ways to improve effectiveness, manage resources and support continuous improvement in complex and changing environments.

• Explore how structures, systems and processes shape organisational performance.
• Identify practical actions to strengthen effectiveness and adaptability.

This session explores how leaders can support people and organisations through change and transition. You will use practical models and tools to understand why change can be unpredictable, communicate with clarity and build confidence during periods of uncertainty.

• Apply practical tools to communicate clearly and support teams through change.
• Use models such as Bridges’ Transition Model and the 4C framework to strengthen leadership effectiveness.

This session explores strategy as the art of making choices. You will consider how leaders can assess strategic options, make effective trade-offs and allocate resources in a fast-paced world, including the importance of stopping some activities to focus on the priorities most likely to deliver successful outcomes.

• Explore how to judge strategic choices and trade-offs in different situations.
• Apply simple strategic models to support focus, resource allocation and decision-making.

This session introduces risk appetite and enterprise risk management as practical tools for leadership decision-making. You will explore how organisations identify, assess and manage risk, while considering how risk appetite can support responsible business growth.

• Understand how risk appetite supports better leadership decisions.
• Explore practical ways to assess, prioritise and manage organisational risk.

This session explores how leaders can build, protect and manage organisational reputation in complex environments. You will consider the links between governance, strategy, trust and legitimacy, and examine how organisations can respond effectively during reputational challenge or crisis.

• Explore the drivers of reputation, trust and legitimacy.
• Consider practical approaches to managing reputational challenges and values-based relationships.