Participants in this program will gain knowledge and understanding in the following areas: 

• Navigate the transition to people management and leadership with confidence, understanding the practical responsibilities of management alongside the adaptive mindset required for leadership at UBC.
• Foster a culture of accountability, development and inclusion, even without formal authority, by role-modelling commitment, clarity, and ownership.
• Apply strategic thinking and business acumen to contribute to broader organizational goals, influence across silos, and manage real-world challenges with integrity.
• Strengthen self-awareness and emotional intelligence to build more trusting relationships, positively influence team dynamics and role model empathy during uncertainty and change.
• Learn to apply a coaching-mindset and how to have more courageous conversations that encourage feedback, build collaboration and enhance performance.
• Take ownership of their development journey by creating a personal Learning and Development Plan, applying program insights to a real workplace project, and actively engaging their manager to support growth and accountability throughout the program. 

Explore three key elements that make this program unique and help ensure participants succeed through applied learning and guided support from their manager. 

1. Learning and Development Plan - Participants will create a Learning and Development Plan and share it with their manager. Managers will support participants by using the plan as a framework to ensure a successful development journey throughout the program lifecycle. This includes a minimum of three development-related check-ins with the manager over the course of the program. The plan prioritizes personal development as an essential ingredient for every aspiring leader to focus appropriate time and attention to help achieve their goals. 

2. On-the-job project - Managers and participants will be asked to identify an on-the-job project that participants will focus on throughout the program. This can be an existing project, current deliverable or stretch opportunity they are working on or currently leading. The on-the-job project can also be something designed specifically for the program, with support and consultation from their manager. At the end of each workshop, participants will be asked to reflect on how they can apply what they’ve learned to their on-the-job project. This ensures that the learning goes beyond theory and is applied practically in the workplace.  

3. Manager’s commitment and involvement - The support of each participant’s manager is key to maximizing the impact of this program.  Over the six-month period, managers will be asked to spend time engaging in conversations with their staff member about their Learning and Development Plan, on-the-job project and any support needed to make this a meaningful learning journey.  

This program will take place in a hybrid format, with a mix of in-person and virtual components.  

Four of the seven workshops are in-person, and participants must be committed to being available for these face-to-face sessions. 

For the pilot cohort, only select Faculties and Departments have been identified and have been provided a designated number of seats for the program.  

View the list of participating Faculties and units, below: 

View the 2025 cohort schedule and workshop topics, format and durations below.  

All participants who successfully complete the Emerging Leaders Program will be given an official Certificate of Completion. 

To earn the Certificate of Completion, participants are expected to attend the online program orientation, all seven workshops (four in-person and three online), and the in-person closing celebration event.

If you have been nominated for this program by your leadership team and you are ready to apply, start the application process by filling out the form below.    

Apply now