York strategic leadership programme

Throughout the programme, you will:

• Develop a clear understanding of your leadership style and learn how to adapt it to align decisions, behaviours, and strategic direction with organisational values and long-term goals.
• Analyse your organisation’s cultural environment and identify practical ways to positively influence culture, psychological safety, and followership through everyday leadership interactions.
• Apply key coaching and mentoring models to enhance performance, build capability in others, and integrate developmental conversations into your leadership practice.
• Evaluate how leadership behaviour, organisational systems, and inclusive practices impact wellbeing, and implement approaches that enable colleagues to thrive and remain motivated.
• Assess the external, technological, and workforce factors shaping the future of your organisation and utilise strategic frameworks to prepare for and engage with complex change.
• Apply systems thinking principles to identify risks, build organisational resilience, and lead effective responses to disruption through appropriate structures, communication, and cultural enablers.
• Identify opportunities for innovation, explore creative problem-solving techniques, and develop strategic approaches that create new value and support sustainable organisational growth.

1. Develop a more confident and strategic leadership approach

You will develop a stronger understanding of their leadership style and learn how to align it with organisational goals, enabling more purposeful and informed decision-making.  There will be multiple opportunities to enhance personal communication, influence, and impact in a supportive and high trust environment.

2. Learn skills and tools to influence culture, wellbeing, and performance

The programme will provide evidence-based and psychologically informed frameworks and techniques that you can apply immediately to shape culture, support colleagues, and enhance communication and collaboration across teams.

3. The capability to lead change and build organisational resilience

You will gain insights into emerging trends, technological disruption, risk, and resilience, equipping them to navigate complexity and maintain momentum during periods of transformation.

4. Increased innovation and commercial awareness

You will learn structured methods for generating ideas, evaluating opportunities, and turning concepts into strategies that support growth and long-term value creation.

5. Develop a powerful professional network

You will study alongside, and collaborate with, other senior participants from a range of industries and backgrounds.  Gain alternative perspectives, and insights from a diverse group of leaders.

 

Name	Bio
Alex Firmin, Course Director	Alex Firmin is a qualified occupational psychologist and specialises in leadership development. Alex is a leadership consultant and Associate Trainer at the University of York. For 12 years, Alex was an army officer (Major) and undertook several tours of Afghanistan. He supported the development and delivery of the Army’s Global Security, Leadership, and Strategy programme at Sandhurst. Alex's hard work led to him successfully establishing the first Afghan officer training academy, in Kabul.  In 2013 Alex decided to pursue a more diverse career in leadership development and more recently he founded and became the CEO of Promethean.  Alex has delivered training projects for a diverse range of international companies. Focusing on empowerment, delegation skills, and motivation, Alex has a passion for developing leadership characteristics in people at all levels of their organisation.  As a consultant, he works closely with teams and individuals to implement new methods of management, and coach them through change.
Holly Arden, Course Facilitator	Holly’s experience includes developing individual, group and company learning solutions from modular training to longer-term programmes. From managing an L&D team at a Global Recruiter to building her business at Arden Matheson, Holly works with drive, energy and enthusiasm to create the best solutions for her clients. Holly aims to create solutions that engage, excite and evolve individuals and teams to be the best that they can be. Holly’s previous experience as a successful Sales Consultant and Manager within the Recruitment sector, together with her learning and development expertise in a global brand creates an impactful approach.  Holly’s enthusiasm, energy, and commitment create a driven environment to learn, engage and succeed.
Dr Truzaar Dordi, Course Facilitator	Truzaar Dordi is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainability Management and Director of Partnerships and Engagement in the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York. His research and teaching examine how organisations navigate sustainability transitions. He is an experienced facilitator of transformative leadership and foresight approaches - including the Three Horizons framework - and works with senior leaders across business, policy, and finance to translate sustainability into strategic decision-making. He leads a CIFAR Arrell Future of Food Fellowship, an ESRC funded research agenda on capital markets and food systems, and has advised organisations on climate-related financial risk. He is also guest editor of a Journal of Management Development special issue on sustainability leadership.

 

You are responsible for booking your own accommodation and arranging payment directly with the hotel of your choice.

A list of some hotel options in the city will be circulated to all delegates.

For further information about York, please visit the 'Visit York' website.

Upon course completion, you will receive a University of York branded certificate to confirm your attendance and completion of the York Strategic Leadership Programme.