Women in Leadership Certificate Program | Grossman School of Business | The University of Vermont(title)

"This was a great course - pushed me out of my comfort zone a few times, and while I have been in leadership for quite a while, provided me with some more tools and allowed me to gather more ideas on how to improve. It also provided me with time to reflect on my experience and what my own goals are."
​- Lisa S.

Women have always been at the forefront of policy change and breaking barriers. Today’s women executives work hard to balance personal and professional lives while exceeding expectations. Resilience and determination continue to empower women toward their goals to become industry leaders. Our Women in Leadership Program is designed by industry experts for professionals seeking expert advice, strategies, and practical tools. 

The Grossman Business School, in partnership with Z School, has developed an online, self-paced 8-module professional certificate program for both individuals and teams who want to achieve personal growth, influence change at their company, and who are empowered to drive new initiatives. In this program, students learn to navigate the nuances of thought leadership, barrier destruction and organizational influence. This program serves as a platform for women to engage and uplift each other by inspiring positive change.

Curriculum

The interdisciplinary curriculum packs thought leadership, strategies, innovative frameworks, and peer discussions into eight modules. Industry professionals lead students through the program while sharing their real-world expertise and guidance. During the course, students gain dozens of workbooks, eBooks, motivational posters, and online assessments to help them set goals and promote values within organizational cultures. Students complete the program with knowledge, plans ready for implementation, and a certificate that shows investment in their careers.

Explore our Program In Depth

Module 1: Pillars of Positivity

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Explore the important pillars of positivity and networking for female leaders. Learn to successfully lead change in your organization by understanding your strengths and how to use them, both intentionally and purposefully.​

  • Develop your own feminine strength, style and strategies.​
  • Discover the power of high achieving female role models.​
  • Break down silos and shatter the glass ceiling.

Module 2: Inspiring Emotional Intelligence

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Identify and assess empathy among employees and colleagues. Discover how to use your own experiences to inspire and lead teams dynamics.

  • Overcome individual and interpersonal barriers.​
  • Learn how to train teams for greatness.​
  • Uncover the elements of emotional intelligence that make an impact on your organization.

Module 3: Winning Work-Life Balance and Mentoring

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Embrace your self-confidence and expand your leadership while balancing your professional and personal life. Then, delve into mentorship and discover the rewards for everyone, including your organization.​

  • Identify the four essential elements of balance: learn, interact, framework, excel.​
  • Explore the benefits of a flexible working environment.​
  • Develop an action plan to help foster mentorship opportunities.

Module 4: Improving Communication Habits

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Overcome challenges with diversity and adversity in a dynamic work environment. Generate strategies to communicate with a vibrant work force, while successfully facing challenges and embracing inclusivity.​

  • Uncover verbal and nonverbal communication patterns.​
  • Examine gender differences in leadership styles.​
  • Develop your own style for speaking and presenting.

Module 5: Advocacy, Actions, and Accountability

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Create your own advocacy plan by defining success measurements and determining the resources needed. Learn to be more assertive, when to take decisive action, and how to hold everyone accountable.

  • Identify how female encouragement is used in the decision-making process.​
  • Generate advocacy and reformation for policy change.​
  • Learn to properly allocate resources to influence and improve employee performance.

Module 6: Skills for Contracts and Negotiations

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Develop collaborative communication processes and skills for negotiation. Harness the power of your actions to lead and manage efforts in your organization, resulting in measurable and accountable projects.​

  • Discover ways to enhance your confidence, behavior and actions during the negotiation process.​
  • Understand the benefits of respect, resolution and returns for female negotiators.​
  • Learn close-to-the-vest strategies – she who speaks first often loses the game.

Module 7: Driving Ideas, Intellectual Growth, and Transformation

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Learn to use idea sprinting and new product development as a means for intellectual growth and relevancy. Determine how ideas generated within an organization lead to transformational and transactional success.​

  • Identify the importance of the leader-member exchange theory.​
  • Explore methods that foster idea generation.​
  • Drive relationship-based innovation and learn how it impacts achievement among employees.

Module 8: Executive Leadership and Organizational Culture

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Learn how the rise of businesses run by women have caused ripple effects in the way leadership and company culture is defined. But there’s still work to be done to create a culture that fully embraces and leverages diversity.

  • Discover how to drive adoption across your entire organization.
  • Successfully jump start your role by gaining quick wins and bring others along with you.
  • Become a successful change-agent for experience-first thinking and inspire change.

Capstone Projects: Women in Leadership Personal Growth and Organizational Strategic Plans

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To reap the highest return-on-investment, you're encouraged to create your very own strategic plan. Complete the Personal Growth Plan to step into your new found power with confidence, authenticity and presence. Or, use the Organization Strategic Plan to support all women in leadership throughout your entire company. Each program workbook and exercise helps build your very own professional Women in Leadership portfolio.