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Leadership Foundations
Develop essential leadership and professional skills, and apply them in a range of different contexts. Apply now May Intensive or Term 2.
Become the leader you want to follow
Leadership Foundations is an AHEGS-recognised, co-curricular program that focuses on foundational interpersonal and self-awareness skills. The program includes a range of online modules introducing different concepts, collaborative group activities, and live workshops.
Employers are looking for students who can demonstrate excellent communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills as well as resilience; these skills are rated the most desirable skills for graduates entering the workforce. This program is designed to help you develop these essential leadership and professional skills and to be able to apply them in a range of different contexts.
The learning experience is designed to help you discover your leadership identity and develop practical skills including:
- self-awareness
- collaboration and communication
- building effective relationships
- creating safe and inclusive teams
- conflict management
- wellbeing and resilience
- and more...
In joining our Leadership Foundations learning community you will make connections with peers and become part of the Leadership Foundations alumni network.
May Intensive & Term 2 2026
Leadership Foundations May Intensive program consists of in-person workshops at UNSW Kensington over two days: on Tuesday 19 May and Thursday 21 May. Application close 11:59pm on Wednesday 29 April 2026. Apply here
Leadership Foundations Term 2 program consists of online workshops across Weeks 1 to 6. Applications close 11:59pm on Wednesday 29 May 2026. Apply here
View program details below.
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You don't need an official title (e.g. president/manager) to be a leader. Anyone can be a leader, and anyone can practice leadership skills. We believe that this program should be part of every student’s development journey as it reflects the UNSW Graduate Capabilities of becoming a globally focused graduate capable of leadership and professional practice in an international community.
We welcome any UNSW student who is interested in discovering their leadership identity and developing their interpersonal and professional skills.
A key strength of Leadership Foundations is the diversity of perspectives, experience and knowledge within the learning community. We encourage students from all faculties and levels of study to apply to the program.
Please note:
- This program is not suitable for students enrolled in MBA programs. Please contact Career Accelerator @ AGSM for career development support/career coaching support.
- For students in their first year and first term at UNSW, we suggest waiting until later in the year to apply for Leadership Foundations, giving you time to adjust to university life before participating. Upcoming options include the May Intensive (in‑person) and the Term 2 online program. Express your interest here.
Inclusive and supportive program
We are dedicated to fostering a learning environment that is inclusive and supportive for everyone. If you have any specific needs to help you fully participate, we are here to make the necessary adjustments.
These adjustments might include providing extra time, ensuring spaces and processes are accessible, or offering materials in alternative formats. If there is anything we can do to support you, please let us know by emailing us at leadership@unsw.edu.au. Your comfort and ability to fully engage are our top priorities.
Listen here to the accessibility message.
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You will join a learning community of like-minded students to progress through four blended learning modules. This will take approx. 20 hours in total to complete.
Each module contains an online component and interactive live workshop. Participants will reflect on their assumptions, collaborate with peers, and challenge themselves in a range of individual and group activities.
Leadership Foundations concludes with a creative and reflective final task to consolidate the learnings from the different modules and help you discover the next step in your leadership journey.
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On successful completion of this program, you will gain the knowledge and skills to:
Adopt a Growth Mindset: Learn how to recognise challenges as opportunities for growth and view mistakes as valuable learning experiences. Practice applying a growth mindset to enhance your leadership in both personal and professional contexts.
Build Resilience and Grit: Identify stress management techniques that work for you. Develop grit by learning how to stay motivated and persevere, while also recognising the importance of self-care to maintain overall wellbeing.
Drive Team Success: Practice effective communication, active listening and trust-building skills. Learn simple conflict resolution strategies to enhance collaboration and develop basic leadership techniques that support effective teamwork.
Foster Curiosity and Inclusivity: Develop an awareness of the value of diversity in teams. Begin developing curiosity and inclusive leadership skills so you can create a team environment of innovation, respect, and creativity.
Reflect and Plan for Growth: Reflect on your personal values and strengths to create a meaningful purpose statement. Evaluate your leadership progress, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for continued development.
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The Leadership Foundations program runs multiple times a year, offering both term and intensive formats.
May Intensive 2026
The intensive program workshops are delivered in-person at the Kensington campus. Below is the schedule:
Day 1: Tuesday 19 May
- Welcome and Growth Mindset workshop: 10am-12:30pm
- Lunch Break: 12:30pm-1:30pm
- Grit and Closing workshop 1:30pm-4:00pm
Day 2: Thursday 21 May
- Welcome and Collaboration workshop: 10am-12:30pm
- Lunch Break: 12:30pm-1:30pm
- Curiosity and Closing workshop: 1:30pm-4:00pm
Application close at 11:59pm on Wednesday 29 April 2026.
Term 2 2026
Each of the four workshops will be 2 hours long and delivered online via Zoom. Workshops are held online across Week 1 one to Week 5. The program will run in two different streams:
Wednesday Stream: Wednesdays, 2pm - 4pm
Friday Stream: Fridays, 10am - 12pmThe streams are identical and you will only be able to attend one stream. Below are the key dates and times for the program:
Wednesday Stream
- Week 1: Moodle learning - Complete in own time
- Week 2: Growth Mindset Workshop - Wednesday 3 June, 2pm-4pm
- Week 3: Grit Workshop - Wednesday 10 June, 2pm-4pm
- Week 4: Collaboration Workshop - Wednesday 17 June, 2pm-4pm
- Week 5: Curiosity Workshop - Wednesday 24 June, 2pm-4pm
Friday Stream
- Week 1: Moodle learning - Complete in own time
- Week 2 : Growth Mindset Workshop - Friday 5 June, 10am-12pm
- Week 3: Grit Workshop - Friday 12 June, 10am-12pm
- Week 4: Collaboration Workshop - Friday 19 June, 10am-12pm
- Week 5: Curiosity Workshop - Friday 26 June, 10am-12pm
Applications close at 11.59pm on Wednesday 29 May 2026.
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Upon satisfactorily meeting the program requirements, you will be awarded AHEGS recognition and a completion certificate. We will also provide you with access to the Leadership Foundations LinkedIn Group to continue your professional and personal development as well as a banner to post to your LinkedIn profile to acknowledge your involvement in this program.
Students share their experience
This course has helped me develop skills to foster teams that champion psychological safety. It has honed my ability to practice empathy, allowing me to listen to other people, and understand and relate to their experience.
The Leadership Foundations program has completely changed my perspective of what it means to be a leader. You can ascend to the top, leading empathy towards others, while being kind to yourself.
This self-discovery journey helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses to become a holistic individual. Through workshops, reflections, and peer support, I gained the insights and the tools I need to lead with authenticity.
The program helped me connect with others, forge new relationships and gain valuable insights in leadership. It really helped develop that growth mindset, emphasising daily self-improvement, continuous learning and unyielding ambition.
This program is amazing. You’ll meet a diverse group of individuals from various fields and countries, making it a fun experience. It also enables you to learn many practical skills that prove invaluable in the professional world.
I enrolled in the program with an aim to continually enhance my skills and truly understand the essence of leadership. This course has taught me the importance of empathy, as you never really know what another team member might be experiencing.