The Leadership and Management Essentials Program is designed to cultivate crucial leadership knowledge, tools, and skills, preparing participants to effectively lead and manage within a dynamic business environment.

The program will enable participants to be more effective managers and leaders, better able to engage, align and empower staff, set and achieve operational goals and raise capability from an operational focus to an executive and strategic perspective.

Participants will graduate better equipped to deal with growing complexity, conflicting priorities, and the need to achieve more within a resource constrained environment.

The program is rigorous and up-to-date, linking theory to practical application, delivering immediate benefit and impact for both individuals and organisations.

 

Program benefits

This program is a rigorous and up-to-date education program with theory linked to application, which will benefit both individuals and organisations in a variety of ways.

Individual benefits

  • Develop your capabilities to successfully lead and navigate current and future organisational challenges.
  • Improve your ability to make a positive input into your staff and organisation’s performance.
  • Learn how to convert strategy into action.
  • Learn from one of Australia’s leading University Business Schools with course facilitators of the highest standard.
  • Receive a Certificate of Completion and credit for two courses within UniSA’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) (subject to entry requirements). 

 

 

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Organisational benefits

  • Future-proof your organisation by developing empowering your staff with strong leadership skills.
  • Support your key staff to develop essential management skills needed to be an effective and agile leader.
  • Professional development for emerging and experienced managers, preparing them to lead and manage more effectively.
  • Engage, align, and empower staff to set and achieve operational goals.
  • Raise your leadership’s capability from an operational focus to a strategic perspective.

 

 

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Key Information

Dates Delivery Location Cost (ex. GST) Who this is suited to

6 x 2 full day modules

2024:
July to December

2025:
April to September

UniSA Business 
City West Campus,
North Terrace,  Adelaide 

6 x 2 full day course: $7,950
Group discounts available
*Early bird $7,600

Individual Modules: $1,495

*Available for 2025 full program enrolments received by 21 March 2025

Emerging, mid-level and senior business leaders and executives from the private, public, and not-for profit sectors.

What others are saying

"By redefining what a leader is, the Leadership Development Program allowed me to acknowledge what I am capable of as a leader. As a result, I am more confident in my approach to my role, the language I utilise and my interactions with peers, plus I have a better idea of the nuts and bolts of management and my place within it."

 

Daina Kruschel 

1847 Chateau Yaldara

Daina Kruschel

UniSA Business Accreditation

UniSA Business is the only business school in South Australia accredited by both AACSB International (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) – the world’s leading accreditation bodies recognising excellence in business education and research at a global level. These accreditations demonstrate the high standards we hold across all areas such as teaching, student learning and research, as well as our commitment to continually improving the quality of our programs. 

What you can expect

The Leadership and Management Essentials Program consists of six, two-day course modules that are typically completed over a six-month period.

The program will provide the tools and insights to enhance experienced managers' capabilities and develop the capabilities of new and developing managers.

The six courses are interactive, with content and facilitation to a level expected by professionals and offers the opportunity to share and learn from your peers in the program. Assessments provide the opportunity to apply the learning to your workplace or industry.

Successful completion of the Leadership and Management Essentials program is achieved upon the completion of the six course modules and associated assessments.

This program provides a credit pathway to the UniSA MBA Program subject to entry criteria (credit is available for up to 5 years).

 Course Outline

 

Course/Topic

Upcoming 2025 Delivery Dates

 

 

Leading and Engaging People

  • Understanding self: personal strengths and weaknesses
  • Leading, coaching and empowering team members
  • Personal development plan.

7 - 8 April 2025

Finance for Decision Makers

  • Budgets, Income and Expenses
  • Financial performance measures
  • Ratios and financial analysis.

12 - 13 May 2025

Thinking and Acting Strategically

  • The concept of strategy
  • Understanding the operating environment and context
  • Managing risk and uncertainty.

16 - 17 June 2025

Leadership for Decision Making

  • Decision Making
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Managing Up-Down-Across.

28 - 29 July 2025

Facilitating Change

  • The principles of change management
  • Implementing change
  • Nurturing employee resilience.

25 - 26 August 2025

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

  • Characteristics of innovation
  • Dimensions and levels of corporate entrepreneurship
  • Strategic entrepreneurship.

29 - 30 September 2025


Assessment

The program includes optional assessment pieces designed to contribute to embedding learning in your workplace and is required for an MBA credit pathway.

Each module has a 1500-word assignment (or equivalent) that is applicable to participants’ workplace or role.

The program has a final Workplace project 3000-word assignment that brings together learning across all modules and applied to a workplace project.

Learning Materials and Catering

  • All participants will receive a hard copy workbook upon arrival.
  • This course is fully catered including morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea.

Learn from the experts

 

Dr Ruchi Sinha

Senior Lecturer and Research Education Portfolio Leader

“Learning in a classroom is a two-way street, where participation and interaction is key and all courses include a strong experiential component. I am passionate about helping students develop key leadership competencies such as negotiation skills. In my teaching, I provide a balance of theoretical knowledge, experiential skill development and motivation to implement.”

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Dr Saras Sastrowardoyo

Program Director and Senior Lecturer

“At UniSA I am responsible for the design, management and delivery of a number of postgraduate courses in the Business School. My area of research interest is in strategic knowledge management to support organisational sustainability in times of change and disruption.”



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Dr Basil Tucker

Senior Lecturer, MBA and Executive Education

Dr Tucker has over twelve years consulting experience and has undertaken assignments with more than 120 organisations in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Basil’s career experience also includes working in the not-for-profit, healthcare, media and manufacturing industries. He is also a board member for several South Australian organisations and is a graduate of the CPA and the AICD Company Directors Course.



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Dr Marguerite Kolar

Course Facilitator

Dr Kolar is a highly regarded educator and practitioner in change management, with extensive industry experience, having worked in senior consulting and management roles for a range of organisations including CSC and Motorola. She delivers unique insights of the elements required to deal with the challenges of transformation in today's complex and dynamic organisations.

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Cancellation Policy

The University of South Australia reserves the right to cancel events and issue refunds.  In the event that an attendee cannot attend, a substitute is welcome to attend in their place.  No refunds will be given unless 21 days notice is given in writing prior to the date of the planned event. If less than 21 days the fee can be used for the same course at a later stage, or another course of the same value.  

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