We offer a number of workshops and masterclasses throughout the year that will help you develop your leadership skills.
We are excited to announce that we are working with our colleagues in Learning and Development (L&D) to offer a tailored-for-postdocs version of their two-day Leadership Essentials workshop.
In addition, we are often able to offer spaces on the Resilient Leadership in Action (RLiA) course, a more intensive training opportunity hosted by King’s College London in collaboration with Cambridge and several other institutions. To be notified about potential future runs of this course, please register your interest via this form. We will notify you as soon as possible whether it will run again in 2025-26 and provide further information at that time.
If you have any questions, please contact development.pda@admin.cam.ac.uk.
This course will support you to develop a range of leadership skills through the act of applying them, rather than focusing on leadership theory.
Some of the core features are:
Activities
The course is based around seven activities, the first six of which are designed to explore a different aspect of leadership and provide a practical insight into how leadership works. In the final activity, you will address a leadership activity that you can continue beyond the course. You will work with others in teams of six with a coach to help you make sense of the activities.
Buddies and home groups
Throughout the course you will work alongside your "buddy", who is another course participant. Together you will share your experiences and provide mutual support, developing key co-coaching skills in the process.
You will also have a “home group” where you consolidate your learning.
Resilient leadership
Underlying everything is the Resilient Leaders Elements, a framework you can use to support your learning.
Sessions run from 09:30-12:00 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Full attendance at all sessions is mandatory (9 sessions in total).
Dates for the spring 2025 sessions are: 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28 February, and 5, 6, 7 March.
There are six spaces for Cambridge postdocs in each round, which are available on a competitive basis.
Interested postdocs must apply, including 200-word statements about your prior leadership experience and why you wish to participate. Should the course be oversubscribed we will use these statements to decide between applicants.
Please consider your statements carefully as we are looking for evidence of your commitment to the course, an understanding of what it might give you, how you would benefit, as well as how you might contribute to the positive experience and learning of other participants.
You will also need to commit to fully attending all nine sessions as listed above and engaging with the pre-course.
Apply for the spring (February/March) round of Resilient Leadership in Action by completing this form. The deadline for application submission is noon on Friday 10 January.
Postdocs from the following institutions will be participating in Leadership in Action:
- Imperial College London
- King’s College London
- University of Bath
- University of Cambridge
- University of Nottingham
- Queen Mary University of London
"The programme helps to build a leader inside you … you are exposed to becoming a better leader."
"An intense [nine] days that will reshape your ideas about being a leader."
"A great opportunity to try out leadership skills in a supportive environment."