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Stepping into Leadership: Essential Skills for New Higher Education Managers

Support your transition into management with practical skills and sector-aligned frameworks for higher education professionals.

2,259 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours
  • Languages

    English, Italiano, Español, Français, PortuguêsEnglish, Italiano, Español
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Digital upgrade

    Free

Gain essential management know-how for new higher education managers

Moving from team member to manager in higher education involves new responsibilities and challenges that require a different mindset and skill set.

Join Nottingham Business School on this flexible three-week course and you’ll build core management capabilities and the confidence to lead in higher education through sector-specific tools, reflective activities, and peer discussion.

Understand the role and mindset of modern higher education managers

You’ll first explore the transition from individual contributor to manager, understanding the expectations, responsibilities, and leadership mindset required in higher education.

Through case studies and real-world scenarios, you’ll be prepared to build credibility, manage relationships, and navigate the complexities of managing former peers and new stakeholders in academia with confidence.

Build essential people management skills for effective leadership

Then focus on developing your practical skills in communication, delegation, and delivering constructive feedback. You’ll master the fundamentals of people management suited for higher education.

Backed by the Association of Higher Education Professionals (AHEP) Professional Framework, you’ll learn to address real-world situations to better motivate teams and empower staff with a positive team climate.

Cultivate personal resilience and well-being to thrive as a new manager

Finally, you’ll focus on building personal resilience, managing stress, and maintaining well-being to sustain effective leadership over time.

You’ll review strategies that support healthy work-life balance and mental health in high-pressure academic settings, before walking away with a variety of techniques to fit diverse work styles.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Transitioning into Leadership & Introducing the AHEP Framework

    • Welcome to Stepping into Leadership

      This section introduces the Association of Higher Education Professionals (AHEP) framework as a foundation for developing your leadership practice in a way that is ethical, inclusive, and evidence-informed.

    • Introduction to Leadership Transition & the AHEP Framework

      This section sets the stage for your leadership development journey by exploring what it means to transition into a leadership role within higher education.

  • Week 2

    Building People Management Capabilities

    • Building People Management Capabilities

      This section explores the foundations of effective people management in higher education, aligned with the Advance HE Education for Professional Practice (AHEP) framework.

    • Building Effective Teams in Higher Education

      Building Effective Teams in Higher Education

  • Week 3

    Building Resilience, Well Being and a Leadership Plan

    • Personal Development Plan

      This week’s learning focuses on understanding and applying the Advance HE Professional Framework (AHEP) to support your professional growth in higher education.

    • Leadership challenge and next steps

      In this section, we explore a leadership challenge scenario and next steps after this short course

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Apply the AHEP Professional Framework to assess their current leadership competencies and guide their ongoing professional development.
  • Develop and demonstrate core management skills, including effective communication, delegation, feedback, and team-building, in alignment with professional standards.
  • Engage in reflective practice to identify strengths, address development areas, and set actionable goals for future leadership growth.
  • Create a personalised leadership development plan that integrates AHEP competencies and supports long-term career progression in higher education management.
  • Lead confidently in a leadership role within higher education by understanding the shift in responsibilities and expectations.
  • Reflect and identify strengths, address development areas, and set actionable goals for future leadership growth.

Who is the course for?

This course is ideal for higher education professionals looking to develop practical skills and confidence aligned with AHEP professional standards for effective leadership in the sector.

Who will you learn with?

Who developed the course?

Nottingham Business School

Nottingham Business School’s (NBS) purpose is to provide research and education that combines academic excellence with positive impact on people, business and society.

What's included?

Nottingham Business School are offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade, so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:

  • Unlimited access to this course
  • Includes any articles, videos, peer reviews and quizzes
  • A PDF Certificate of Achievement to prove your success when you’re eligible
  • Learning on FutureLearn

    Your learning, your rules

    • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
    • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
    • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

    Join a global classroom

    • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
    • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
    • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

    Map your progress

    • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
    • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
    • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

    Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

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