Embracing your potential: Graduate leadership development program | GPLD147



Description

What does it mean to be a leader? This seminar introduces you to the process of leadership and the vast array of skills needed to be a leader in diverse contexts. We will examine the fundamental skills that will shape your leadership style, including emotional intelligence, team dynamics, negotiation, problem-solving, motivating others, giving feedback and intercultural communication. 

This workshop series includes eight interconnected modules delivered over nine weeks. Each week features a 2-hour interactive session followed by 30 to 60 minutes of independent reflections and work on advancing your leadership development plan, for a weekly commitment of approximately 3 hours. The modules build progressively, helping you deepen your self-awareness, strengthen core leadership skills, and apply practical strategies in real-world contexts. The topics are:

 

  • Foundation of leadership
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Negotiating with confidence
  • Effective team-leading
  • Problem solving
  • Motivating and inspiring
  • Facilitating performance
  • Leadership development plan feedback (optional)

 

Activities include case studies, role-plays, group discussions, and guided self-reflections. You will be required to submit weekly reflections highlighting your key learnings in each module. As a final submission, you will create a personal leadership development plan that integrates your learning across the series. Upon completion of this series, you will receive a Leadership Development certificate. Please note that to receive your certificate, you must complete at least 5 out of 7 weekly reflections and your leadership development plan.  

 

Sessions will be delivered in a meeting format that models effective leadership practices, with shared norms and guideline rules to support engagement and collaborative learning environments.  


Learning Objectives

By the end of this seminar, you will be able to:

  • Understand and articulate common leadership terms and theories
  • Identify your own strengths and areas of growth as a leader
  • Apply core leadership skills in academic and professional contexts
  • Recognize the diverse perspectives on what defines leadership
  • Develop and submit a personal leadership development plan  

Leaders Information

This training is led by Anne Brisson and Sarah Yems
 
Anne is a current PhD student researching how art techniques teach affective creativity skills in business, education and science. She holds a Masters degree in the Science of Creativity & Change Leadership, a Bachelor of Adult Education, and a Bachelor degree in design. She has over 20 years experience in business and in leadership positions, including leading two non-profit organizations. Anne is also a professional artist and art educator.
 
Sarah is studying for a PhD in Social and Cultural Analysis at Concordia. Her research looks at the ways in which we talk about AI technologies and how that shapes the ways in which technologies are adopted and the direction of innovation. She has MSc in Sustainable Development and a BA(Hons) in English Literature and Language. Sarah has almost 20 years experience in media and advertising having worked in various agency environments and at Google. She  serves on the executive committee of the Canadian Anthropology Association, and is the Communications Manager for Concordia’s Ethnography Lab.  

Additional Information

Your commitment and participation during class (14 hours) and outside of class (approximately 10 hours) are mandatory. You will be enrolled in a Moodle course where you will have access to the seminar’s resources and activities. Failure to meet the attendance requirement and complete the activities assigned outside of class will result in a $75 non-attendance fee.

Participant Feedback

The Graduate Leadership Development Program” provides thought-provoking and inspirational workshops for graduate students to rethink the fundamental aspects required to be an impactful leader in society today. It takes you through an invigorating journey of self-awareness, compassion and empathy to slowly unveil the personal barriers we set for ourselves in situations of conflict, hard negotiations, providing and receiving constructive feedback and effectively communicating with our peers of various cultures. This program is designed for students who are prepared and self-determined to grow out of their comfort zone and embrace their true potential, leading with intention. I truly enjoyed my experience in this 7-week program and highly recommend it for those who seek to expand their knowledge in leadership development strategies to implement in their school, work and personal life. - Sarah Farahdel, PhD Candidate, Industrial Engineering
 

The Leadership Workshop is well structured by topic with a lot of resources. The in-person activities and scenarios complement the theory and allow the participants to apply the techniques and discover themselves.  -Alexei Grigoriev, MBA Candidate, John Molson School of Business


Related Resources

Are leaders born, or made? Azfar Adib shares how mastering leadership skills remains a vital step in a graduate student’s journey of self-development.  Read more 

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How it works

Event details

Workshop location

Online

Start date

Friday, February 6, 2026

End date

Friday, April 3, 2026

Workshop days

Friday

Time

From 10:00 to 12:00

Capacity

18 / 40

Additional details

This workshop has a $75 non-attendance fee

Registration deadline

Thursday, February 5, 2026