Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme
Realise your true potential. The Cambridge Rising Women Leaders programme – for high-potential women looking to advance their own authentic leadership style.
Upcoming programmes
Format:
Dates:
Duration:
Fees:
Face-to-face
15-17 Sep 2025
3 days
£4,550 + VAT
Face-to-face
24-26 Nov 2025
3 days
£4,550 + VAT
Upcoming programmes
Format:
Face-to-face
Dates:
15-17 Sep 2025
Duration:
3 days
Fees:
£4,550 + VAT
Format:
Face-to-face
Dates:
24-26 Nov 2025
Duration:
3 days
Fees:
£4,550 + VAT
Overview
The Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme is designed for women with high leadership potential who want to take their career to the next level and reach a leadership role. Explore the positives of female power and develop a proactive, strength-based approached to leadership. The Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme harnesses 4 inter-connected learning pillars which foster and build on your intrinsic leadership abilities: self-awareness, strength-building, shared experiences and continued learning.
Challenge yourself. Learn with a strong, supportive cohort of exceptional women and become the very best leader you can be.
Benefits and career impact
Embrace your leadership potential. Here’s how the programme can benefit both you, and your organisation.
- Develop a positive, strength-based approach to leadership.
- Address current career challenges and develop a clear career action plan towards senior leadership roles – get advice on advancing your career using reflective learning.
- Enjoy informal conversations with senior executives about their journey to the top.
- Gain a strong, supportive peer network and participate in peer-to-peer mentoring.
- Engage in psychometric assessments, practical skills sessions and physical and vocal workshops.
- Become a member of Cambridge Judge Business School’s Wo+Men’s Leadership Centre.
- Return to work ready to lead with increased confidence and an understanding of your authentic leadership style.
- Apply cutting-edge, research-based frameworks to your organisations challenges.
- Share world-leading insights with your work collegues.
Welcome to the Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme. My name is Patrizia Vecchi, and I’m the Academic Director for the programme. The Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme is for high potential women who aspire to a leadership position and are working their way up. Our research here at Cambridge suggests that gender balance is critical for organisations, their success, and their decision-making processes.
We have designed this programme specifically for rising women leaders because research shows that the first steps into leadership are the most challenging for women. The Programme will help you take those first steps and ultimately demonstrate that you have all it takes to rise to the challenge. The programme will start by building your confidence. No one can grow and develop as a leader if they don’t believe that they can do so. Women sometimes hold themselves back for fear that they’re not good enough.
We will help you see your potential. You will realise that you probably have more to bring to the leadership table than you think. You will also participate in a series of workshops designed to build the skills you need to succeed as a leader. The programme follows a strength-based approach, which means that instead of focusing on fixing your weaknesses, we will guide you towards building on your strengths. It is this mental shift that ultimately will help you become the best and authentic version of yourself.
Cambridge is a special place. You will spend three days here in Cambridge at the heart of the University of Cambridge in an intimate classroom environment where you will not only connect with other women like you, but where you will also make friends and mentors for life. Expect the programme to change how you think about yourself and refocus your energy on the areas where you have the strongest leadership potential. All of this while developing meaningful relationships that you will take away with you well beyond the classroom. We are excited that you are considering joining our programme. We can’t wait to meet you and get started.
Learn more about the programme from our faculty, Patrizia Vecchi
Over the course of the programme, we will discuss the ins and outs of what it takes to advance into a leadership position and be an effective and authentic leader. You will learn from research, take a deep dive into your strengths, build skills and confidence, and plant the seeds for long-lasting personal and professional relationships. Expect the programme to change how you think about yourself and refocus your energy on the areas in which you have the strongest leadership potential. We can’t wait to see you make your next step forward
This programme is certified by the CPD Certification Service. It may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies.
Programme content
Module 1: Strength-based approach and your leadership strengths
- Reframe your mindset around strength-based leadership development.
- Explore career advancement challenge through reflective learning.
- Discuss what it takes to be a good leader – consider the perspectives and expectations of those you lead.
- Collect qualitative feedback on your strengths and leadership qualities.
- Identify development areas to unlock your leadership potential.
Module 2: Finding meaning in work and resilience
- Explore how to find meaning in your work.
- Consider the elements that influence happiness levels.
- Understand resilience and how to deal with challenges more effectively – identify your triggers and pause buttons.
- Articulate your personal vision statement and identify and balance the energisers and drainers in your workday.
Module 3: The power of communication and negotiation strategies
- Focus on how your physical habits affect the impression you give others, and how they affect how you’re feeling.
- Improve your physical presence, posture, eye-contact and breathing through a series of exercises with Leandra Ashton, actress and founder of the Flying Cloud Theatre.
- Explore negotiation strategies and learn how to overcome the specific challenges affecting women.
- Use a practical framework to strengthen your negotiation approach as a female leader.
Module 4: Networks and how leaders define success
- Explore the critical role that networks play in your advancement to leadership positions.
- Identify key characteristics of your network and areas for improvement.
- Recognise how you as a leader define success for yourself, your teams and your followers.
Module 5: Career negotiation strategies
- Explore how to advocate for yourself and negotiate effectively for higher compensation package.
- Work through a case study and discuss how to deal with dismissive comments and make a compelling case for yourself.
- Examine how power is used, deflected and redefined.
- Recognise the challenges of negotiating with superiors and the gender influence.
- Learn to negotiate more confidently and effectively.
Module 6: Managing difficult conversations and the power of communication
- Case study: Watch a difficult conversation between a rising woman leader and one of her reports – discuss what she does well and what she could improve.
- Identify key behaviours to manage difficult conversations.
- Discover how to use vocal dynamics to ensure you are heard.
- Learn techniques to generate new ideas in your team and ensure positive outcomes.
How you learn: Face-to-face
Enjoy 3 inspirational days in the historic and beautiful city of Cambridge. You’ll meet faculty and peers in person, while time away from home and office will give you the space to focus on your learning and networking objectives. Join ‘Cambridge Union’-style debates, hear from guest speakers and faculty, interact with carefully selected peers and experience group exercises, role-play and discussion both in and outside class.
The Cambridge faculty not only shares the theory of women leadership with real-life examples, but also creates an environment where like-minded people listen to each other to help achieve their best. Thanks to this programme, I started focusing more on my strengths and learned how to sustainably channel my energy. The programme also gave me the opportunity to slow down, reflect, and breathe in the university campus, after 7 years spent in business.
All of the sessions were enjoyable, engaging and relevant. The programme allows for self reflection and growth as well as giving many tools to help us along our leadership journey. More than that, it inspires us to be our best selves as well as connecting us with many inspirational women.
Who attends
We welcome high-achieving, high-potential women. This programme is for you if:
- you aspire to your first leadership role or you have just been appointed to it
- you are in the early to middle phase of your management careers, with between 3 to 10 years’ experience in an entry to middle-management role
30% Club Scholarship
Cambridge Judge Business School and the 30% Club are committed to addressing gender imbalance and to helping more women reach influential positions. The Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme 30% Club Scholarship has been established to encourage and support ambitious women who are aspiring towards senior leadership roles.
One 30% Club Scholarship is open to an exceptional female candidate who is currently in a junior or middle management position. Scholars need to be nominated by their organisation and will receive a fully funded place on the programme. Please note the scholarship covers the programme fees only.
The programme inspires us to be our best selves as well as connecting us with many inspirational women.
Faculty and speakers
Learn from our world-class faculty who bring fresh insights from their leading-edge research into all of our Executive Education programmes. The Academic Programme Director (APD) for the Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme is Dr Patrizia Vecchi.
PhD (Washington University in St Louis)
Member of the Advisory Board, Cambridge Judge Business School
Fellow (Organisational Theory and Information Systems)
Smaranda holds an honorary title from Cambridge Judge Business School.
Why Cambridge Judge Business School?
Related programmes
Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Programme belongs to our Leadership-topic executive education programmes. Here is a selection of related programmes:
Cambridge Judge Business School General Management Certificate of Achievement
Looking for a flexible learning package tailored to your individual needs? Whether you want to step-up, startup or switch careers, Cambridge Judge Business School offers a bespoke Certificate of Achievement, dedicated to general management.
Cambridge General Management Programme
Broaden your perspective, create new connections and gain a deeper understanding of key management disciplines, including Finance, Marketing, Operations and Innovation. The Cambridge General Management Programme is an intensive 2-week programme that will stretch your thinking and increase your confidence. Designed to support your transition to a broader management role, you’ll improve your decision-making abilities and get ready to accelerate your career.
Transformational Leadership
Leading through rapid change is a huge and complex challenge. Move beyond the ordinary, developing a flexible leadership style that strikes the right balance between inspirational leadership and results-oriented management.
Speak to a programme advisor
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how this programme could benefit you or your organisation, please get in touch with the programme advisor.
