Page last updated 1 November 2024
It is often claimed that as a society we have become obsessed with leadership and its importance. But global events, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the energy and food crises and to the climate emergency, are putting the assumption that leadership can save the day to the test. The way formal leaders, individuals, communities, and organisations have been responding to these challenges has highlighted the inspirational outcomes achieved through leaderly acts that have often emerged from unexpected places. The motivations and inspiration behind these acts cannot be explained through the usual leadership semantics. Instead, we look to what we have termed 'unleadership', not a lack or absence of leadership but paying attention to the everyday, seemingly unremarkable leaderly acts and practices that our obsession with leadership tends to disguise.
Transformative Leadership Practices is a unique, reflective and practical programme that explores the power of these leaderly acts and the underlying mindsets and personal and interpersonal qualities sustaining them. It is designed to facilitate a critical understanding of leadership practices with a view to helping you recognise different ways of leading (or unleading) that will both develop your own practices and will allow you to inspire and encourage others in your communities and organisations to unlock their latent leadership potential.
This programme is rooted in leadership practice and reflection; introducing and developing an understanding of models and frameworks that underpin the practice of unleadership, with activities and exercises that encourage you to experiment and put them into practice. It will also provide you with the opportunity to engage in thought-provoking debate, focussed enquiry into your own practice, peer to peer learning and offers unique networking opportunities.
Through activities and a series of case studies of unleadership, combined with learning from your own and others' experiences, you will come away with insight into the role of unleadership in enabling proactively responsive, timely and thoughtful action in complex and uncertain contexts.
Who is it for?
Whether you are an aspiring, new or experienced leader of people, this programme will help you to reflect on received notions of leadership, reimagine new forms of leadership and transform your leadership practice. You don't have to be working in a formal management role it is suitable for anyone and everyone who is taking action on something they are passionate about, be that in an organisation, a small enterprise, or a community group.
What do I get out of it?
This programme will help you to:
Benefits for employers
The programme structure
This open programme has practical development days designed to give you an opportunity to reflect on and explore these topics through individual activities, group work, and case studies using innovative research and creative methods such the use of poetry and storytelling. As part of your sessions, you will cover:
Our open programmes are run at the Bristol Business School, providing a professional environment for your training needs. Located at Frenchay Campus, with easy access to the M4 and M5 motorways and Bristol Parkway rail station, it has four fully equipped training rooms, a communications and reception area.
Take a personalised virtual tour of the Business Management facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.
Programme dates
| 2023 Cohort | Time | Location |
| Day 1: TBC | 09:30-16:30 | Frenchay Campus |
| Day 2: TBC | 09:30-16:30 | Frenchay Campus |
| Day 3: TBC | 09:30-16:30 | Frenchay Campus |
Programme fees
Please see the table below for current fees and discounts available. All prices are VAT exempt.
Discounts cannot be used in conjunction with each other. The greatest discount available will be applied at your booking confirmation.
| 2023 Cohort | Fee |
| Full Fee | £860 |
| Payment Deadline | TBC |
| SME, Not-for-Profit and Public Sector Discount | £774 |
| Payment Deadline | TBC |
| Early Bird Discount | £774 |
| Payment Deadline | TBC |
| UWE Bristol Alumni Discount | £731 |
| Payment Deadline | TBC |
| UWE Bristol Staff Discount | £731 |
| Payment Deadline | TBC |
| Course Connect | £688 |
| Payment Deadline | TBC |
| 2023 Cohort | Booking | Enquiries |
| 3 Days - Dates TBC | Coming Soon | Submit an Enquiry |