At the heart of good leadership is a shared process—one where leaders and their team members come together to navigate challenges and achieve shared goals.
When leaders meet team members where they are, providing the direction and support they need, when they need it, they create the conditions for inclusion, engagement, wellbeing, and sustained performance.
INSPIRE: The Developing Leaders Program is UBC's flagship five-month leadership development experience for newer staff managers ready to lead with greater intention and impact.
For managers ready to move beyond the fundamentals, the program builds capacity to lead with greater confidence, commitment, and effectiveness.
Grounded in a proven, people-centred leadership framework, the program builds participants' capacity to develop others, navigate real workplace challenges, and cultivate an adaptive leadership approach for addressing everyday leadership situations.
Key dates
| Application deadline | Monday, July 20 (noon) |
| Program runs | September 17, 2026 – January 13, 2027 |
How to apply
- Review the details: Check the eligibility criteria, program schedule, requirements and benefits to ensure the program aligns with your learning goals.
- Complete the Application Form: Fill out the application form by July 20 (noon).
- Ensure Sponsor Form is also submitted: The Sponsor Form becomes available to your manager/supervisor after your submit your application. Both your application and the Sponsor Form must be submitted by July 20 (noon).
Who's eligible
The Developing Leaders Program is open to the following staff:
- Management & Professional (M&P) staff only
- At least 1 year in a management role at UBC with direct staff report(s) (staff who manage only Work Learn or student appointments are not eligible)
- 1-4 years of total management experience (at UBC and/or elsewhere)
- Working knowledge of core people management practices, including hiring, onboarding, performance reviews and using Workday to carry out management responsibilities
- Commitment to their own learning and development
- Support from their manager for full participation in the program
- Confirms their full availability and attendance for all virtual and in-person workshops
Through the program, you will be able to:
What to expect in the Fall 2026 program
The Fall cohort will be open to participants from both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. The program will run from September 2026 to January 2027, with sessions held virtually and in person.
What you'll be required to do
To earn a certificate of completion, participants are expected to:
- Attend all workshops
- Participate in three Leadership Triad sessions
- Complete all Canvas learning modules
- Complete the End-of-Program Evaluation Survey
Schedule
The program will be delivered in a hybrid format, combining virtual and in-person workshops. The program includes five workshops in total, one of which is delivered over two days.
- Virtual workshops (Zoom) run from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, with a one-hour lunch break between sessions (4 hours total), and include participants from UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan together.
- In-person workshops run from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (7 hours), held at each campus.
Total time commitment of approximately 40 hours from September 2026 to January 2027, including Workshops, Canvas pre-work and post-work, as well as Leadership Triad sessions (self-managed).
What you will explore
Throughout the program, you will explore topics related to leading others and leading within UBC, including:
- UBC’s leadership philosophy and competencies
- Situational leadership (assessing your natural leadership tendencies and developing the flexibility to adapt your approach to different individuals and situations)
- The Management Paradox: balancing consideration for people with consideration for results
- Performance enablement and effective feedback conversations
- Managing underperformance and management rights
- Conflict navigation and engagement
- A coach approach to leadership
- Understanding UBC’s resources for team wellbeing
- Building your career resiliency at work
Program fees
The program is fully funded by VP Human Resources at UBC.
How program participants are selected
All applications will be reviewed to confirm eligibility and assess overall fit for the program. To ensure that all qualified applicants are fairly considered, applications may be reviewed in partnership with participating faculty and portfolio HR and Organizational Development (OD) teams across UBC. A pool system may also be used as part of the selection process to support equitable representation across faculties and portfolios.
Priority may be given to managers in their fourth year of management experience, as well as those who have applied to the program in previous years but were not offered a space.
Applicants will be notified of their program status by email by early August. We thank all applicants for their interest in the program.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact leadership@hr.ubc.ca.